A Year To Remember
by Chadtaylor4me
Summary: My first fanfic. All about the ups and downs of senior year. Mostly about Chad,Taylor, Troy and Gabriella. Some Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and others. New characters are introduced. Hope you enjoy and leave a review. Thanks.Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.
1. Chapter 1

_It is three months into senior year for popular East High Wildcats Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay and Zeke. All of them are working hard to keep their grades up for college submissions while finding time for fun, friendship, and romance. Things for the graduating class of 2008 are looking great!_

Chapter I

"Taylor Ann McKessie! Have you lost your mind?" Gabriella Montez practically shouted in disbelief at her best friend over the phone. "Please tell me that you are not seriously considering going out on a date with one of our teachers?"

"Calm down girl before you bust something," Taylor laughed. "I never said I was going out on a date with Julian Blanchard. What I did say is that I'm meeting him for coffee so we can discuss strategy for this year's academic decathlon."

"Well to me it translates into a date, especially since this guy has been macking on you since the first day he walked into our advanced trig class as Mr. Wilson's teaching assistant," Gabriella reminded with a disapproving tone. "Tay this guy isn't looking to just be your friend or don't you get that?"

"I'll tell you what I do get Brie…all this mama bear huffing and puffing on your part comes across like you're trying to protect Chad because you think this meeting with Julian is my way of getting back at him for the whole Marissa/debutante thing," Taylor calmly explained.

Gabriella was annoyed by the analysis but couldn't deny that this was partly the reason for her disagreeable attitude about the situation. That and the fact that although Julian was handsome and seemed nice enough, there was just something about him that rubbed Gabriella the wrong way. She definitely knew she didn't like the way the guy had been zeroing in on Taylor since day one of the new school year and using any conflict, no matter how small, between herself and Chad to his advantage. This meeting for coffee was just the latest in a long line of little things that made her more than suspicious and a bit fearful for her best friend.

"So you admit that the only reason you are meeting up with Julian is to give Chad a taste of his own medicine because Marissa DeLeon is determined to use every means possible to get her hooks into him and away from you?"

"No. That's your version of events missy. I'm meeting Julian because we've been given a task to complete by Mr. Wilson. This has nothing to do with Chad or his obligations to an ex-girlfriend and her family."

"You mean the ex-girlfriend from hell that hates you and would do anything to break up your romance with Chad because she knows how crazy he is about you," Gabriella corrected. "We both know that the only reason he went along with things is because his folks, especially his mom, pushed him into it."

"Do we?" Taylor questioned sounding slightly unconvinced.

"Yes. We do," Gabriella replied with matter-of-fact confidence.

"Whatever. The point Brie is that irregardless of this debutante thing Chad's caught up in with Marissa, trust when I say that there is absolutely nothing going on between myself and Julian. He's a teaching assistant in a class where I'm a student. We aren't dating, flirting or anything. We are just meeting for a cup of coffee and a quick chat on how to ace this year's decathlon. That's it."

"Maybe that's your interpretation of this little get together but what about him?"

"Brie would you please just let it go. I'm telling you it is so not worth all this drama," Taylor pleaded with frustration.

"Fine. So I guess this means you won't have a problem telling Chad all about your little innocent escapade with an older man when he comes home from Chicago tomorrow right?" Gabriella asked.

"Not unless you want to break the news to him first," Taylor replied looking at her watch. "Brie I hate to cut you short but I need to get some chores done before I meet up with Julian in our hotel room."

Gabriella almost dropped the phone in shock when she heard those words. "Oh my God! What did you just say?"

Taylor couldn't help herself from laughing at the expression she just knew her best-friend had to be wearing at that precise second. "Gotcha!"

"You are so not funny McKessie," Gabriella snapped irritably. "I so can't wait for Chad to come home and kiss some sense into you."

"Look Brie I've really got to go. I will call you later on when I get back. Okay?"

"Okay," Gabriella agreed, reluctant to let Taylor go. "Just promise me Tay that you will not let that guy's smooth moves blind you to his games. He wants you and away from Chad just like that little rah-rah hussy wants Chad away from you. I just feel it."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Bye."

Taylor hung up and sighed as she sat there on her bed with Gabriella's words of warning dancing in her head. God she missed Chad something terrible.

Taylor began to think back to last Thursday afternoon. She and Chad had gone for a walk out to the football bleachers right after class. They both agreed that they needed to take some alone time to talk about the recent drama that had been going in their relationship due to Marissa's unappreciated intrusion all because her family and Chad's had been long time friends. But, unfortunately, things hadn't gone as planned and what started out as promising soon turned into a huge fight with angry words and hurt feelings on both sides. Chad had eventually stormed off leaving Taylor an emotional wreck, later heading off to Chicago with the cheerleading witch and her family who treated Chad like he was the second coming. Taylor had gone home and cried her eyes out, ignoring the 10 frantic calls from Gabriella that evening after learning from Troy about the big blow up between them.

The next day Taylor met up with Gabriella who was able to help her put things into perspective, reiterating how much McKessie and Danforth were meant for each other. By the time the girls headed off to trigonometry class that Friday afternoon, Taylor was feeling hopeful that when Chad came home on Sunday they would have a chance to clear the air. Of course it was right after class ended and Gabriella had run off to hook up with Troy, that Julian made his move and asked Taylor to meet him for coffee on Saturday supposedly to discuss Mr. Wilson's suggestions for the 2008 Scholastic Decathlon.

Taylor knew she was nobody's fool and probably should have declined Julian's invitation for the simple fact of how it might look just as Gabriella had implied. But she couldn't ignore that Julian had been really nice and helpful from the moment he'd joined the class, not just with her but with everyone. And, as shallow it sounded, it also didn't hurt that he had these amazing greenish-gold eyes that made saying no to his charm rather difficult not just for Taylor but for most of the other girls in the class too. Gabriella it seemed was the only one invulnerable to the spell he could cast.

And, if Taylor was being totally honest with herself, she would admit that meeting Julian for coffee even if only for a half an hour, was better than sitting at home stewing over Chad off doing God knew what with Marissa or feeling like a third wheel hanging out with Troy and Gabriella. Before she and Chad had become a couple it hadn't mattered if she was just part of the group. But now things were different and these days Taylor rarely wanted to be without Chad by her side when they hung out with their friends.

For now, in spite of her best-friend's concerns or her boyfriend's absence, Taylor was okay with the little bit of distraction Julian was offering since she knew that for her was only a friend and nothing more. She needed to do something, anything to keep her from thinking about Chad if only for a little while. The funny thing though was that deep down Taylor knew she wasn't fooling anybody, least of all herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

"Where are Taylor and Chad?" Sharpay asked as she slid into one of the diner's booths already occupied by Troy and Gabriella with Zeke right behind her. "Did they forget we're supposed to discuss plans for Senior Weekend tonight?"

"Yeah. It's not like them to miss one of our Saturday night hang out sessions," Zeke added taking off his coat and reaching for a menu.

Troy and Gabriella gave each other the look and smiled.

"Hello to you too," Gabriella said taking a sip of her Coke as she snuggled in closer to Troy to make more room for their friends. "We're glad to see you guys could make it."

Sharpay, compact appearing magically in hand making sure not one blonde hair was out of place, immediately stopped primping when she caught the slightly sarcastic tone in Gabriella's voice.

"What? Did I ask the wrong question or something?" Sharpay inquired with mock surprise.

Troy laughed and shook his head. "No everything's cool. You just seem to have forgotten that Chad is out of town for the weekend and Taylor had other plans."

"Plans? What other plans could Taylor have with Chad gone? And just where exactly is Danforth? Nobody said anything to me about his going out of town," Sharpay stated with her usual as if air. "You people really need to learn better communication skills. That's why the cellphone and palm pilot were invented."

Troy made a "here we go" face as his girlfriend put down her drink and waved a hand through the narrow space that separated Shapay from her beloved reflection.

"Hello...earth to Sharpay," Gabriella teased as Troy nudged her in the side. "I told you about Taylor and Chad this morning when you called. Remember?"

Sharpay snapped her compat shut with a haughty lip pout. "Honestly Gabriella. Do you really expect me to remember something you told me from this morning when I've had no less than 30 phonecalls so far today?"

"Oh I'm sorry...what was I thinking?" Gabriella ribbed doing her best not to laugh in her friend's face.

"Okay you two play nice," Zeke said signaling the waitress over to their table. "If it makes you feel any better Brie, I do seem to recall Troy telling me about Chad's going to Chicago."

"Chicago!" Sharpay exclaimed in disbelief. "What in the world is he doing there?"

"I think it has something to do with a debutante ball and a tuxedo. Right?" Zeke explained as he looked to Troy for confirmation.

"Yeah. He left yesterday morning or didn't you notice he wasn't in school? Troy asked already exhausted from trying to get Sharpay up to speed. Athough they were finally cool and real friends he sometimes wondered how Zeke handled Little Miss High Maintenance as well as he did.

"That's right," Sharpay said as if a lightbulb had finally turned on. "He wasn't in 5th period because I remember Ms. Templeton asking about him."

"There you go girl. Now you're cooking," Gabriella joked as she winked at Troy who had to look away to bite his lip to keep from laughing at Sharpay's expense.

"Very funny Gabriella," Sharpay said in a less than enthused tone.

"So when is he coming back?" Zeke asked as he placed his order with the waitress for both himself and Sharpay.

"Tommorow afternoon I think but I can't be sure," Troy replied following Zeke's lead by giving his and Gabriella's order next.

After the waitress left the table, Sharpay turned serious.

"Okay so we have it straight more or less that Chad is incommunicado for tonight. What's Taylor's story? she asked. "That girl never misses the chance to sit on a committee."

"Umm...she's got homework to finish," Gabriella spoke up a little too quickly for Sharpay's radar not to notice.

"Homework? Are you for real? Taylor McKessie is the one person I can gurantee probably already has all her homework assignments completed right up until the last day of school." Sharpay proclaimed with a subtle roll of her eyes.

Both Zeke and Troy began laughing hysterically as they watched Gabriella start to make an attempt to backtrack from the born and bread bloodhound instincts Sharpay was known for having.

"What I mean is that she's such a perfectionist she just wanted to make sure everything was good to go for class on Monday that's all," Gabriella practically stammered as she turned to look at Troy for help. She wasn't sure Taylor would appreciate her spilling the beans to the rest of her friends about meeting with Julian.

"Okay Montez just spit it out because if you think I'm buying your song and dance about McKessie think again," Sharpay commanded in her best drill seargent voice. "I know something is up. The question of what still remains."

"Go easy on her Sharpay," Zeke suggested trying his best to come to Gabriella' rescue.

"Yeah Sharpay cut my girl some slack okay?" Troy asked in spite of knowing it would do no good.

"Look you three, all I did when I came in was ask about Chad and Taylor and all of a sudden it's like pulling teeth around here to get a straight answer which makes me think something is going on. Chad in Chicago doing debutante stuff? Taylor the smartest girl at East High and Chad the jock's girl sitting home on a Saturday night doing homework while he's off with someone else? Right. Spill it Montez," Sharpay ordered.

"All right, all right I give," Gabriella surrendered. "I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Good. About time. All this guessing is giving me a freaking headache," Sharpay snapped irritably.

"Chad is in Chicago with Marissa DeLeon and her family. Marissa's debutante ball is in a few weeks and Chad is going to be her escort. They all went to Chicago to find her dress and get Chad fitted for a tuxedo."

"And Taylor?" Sharpay pressed.

"I guess she's at home but I can't be sure. She went to meet a friend for coffee this afternoon but I haven't heard from her since even though I've tried to call her at least 3-4 times."

Sharpay was nodding her head like she'd just discovered the biggest secret.

"I knew it. They broke up didn't they?"

"No!" Troy and Gabriella practically yelled in unison.

"Well something's going on because they aren't together and neither one is here with us like they have been for the last several months," Sharpay concluded. "Chad's off with his cheerleader ex-girlfriend and her folks and Taylor's off meeting a friend...sounds like a break up to me."

"Yeah it does kind of sound that way to me too," Zeke threw in.

"Well you're both wrong," Gabriella stated. "They may have had a fight but they certainly haven't broken up no matter how things sound."

"Oh great. Now you tell us about them having had a fight. When will the deception end Brie?" Sharpay needled, loving how all pretenses were starting to unravel. "Should I even ask what the fight was about?"

"No doubt it had to do with Chad spending time with Marissa. That girl has wanted him back ever since they broke up Sophomore year. She definitely can't stand to see him with Taylor that's for sure," said Zeke.

"I have to agree with you there," Troy chimed in.

"And what about this friend Taylor met up with today? Is it somebody that knows about her fight with Chad? Someone trying to move in on Danforth's territory while he's out of town," Sharapy quizzed enjoying the digging up of gossip and dirt.

"Oh come on now. I told you he's just a friend. Taylor said they were going to hang out for a little while and that's all," Gabriella sighed wishing that the conversation would die already.

"Uh huh. I knew it. You said he," Sharpay exclaimed clapping her hands excitedly. "I suspected it was a guy. Anyone we know?"

"Stop it Sharpay I mean it," Gabriella warned. "They are just friends and I don't want you getting in Taylor's face about it when you talk with her."

"Okay, okay. I just don't see what the big deal is or why you are being so secretive about his identity. Surely Chad knows all about it right?"

"How could Chad know that Taylor went out with someone else if he's out of town Shar?" Zeke logically posed.

"You're right babe. My bad," Sharpay giggled.

At that moment the waitress finally appeared with their food interrupting the conversation. When she'd retreated back into the crowd Sharpay made one last declaration before they began eating.

"I'll drop this for now because we've got other stuff we need to talk about tonight. But I'm going to get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I do. Chad and Taylor are our friends and belong together. If they are in trouble we have to figure out a way to help them if we can. No way are we sitting by while some mantrap in a short skirt and some nameless "friend"tries to come between them if they already haven't. Agreed?"

Troy, Gabriella and Zeke looked at one another and then Sharpay.

"Fine. Can we just drop the subject, eat our food and try to have some fun for the rest of the night?" Troy conceded as he reached for his cheesburger.

"Works for me," Zeke agreed too tired to fight Sharpay especially when his stomach was growling like crazy.

"Gabriella?"

"Agreed Sharpay. After I talk with Taylor and when Chad gets back tomorrow we'll have a better idea of whether or not there is anything we need to do to help get them get back on track. Until then I say we keep this to ourselves and not press the issue."

"Great. Now that we've got that all cleared up let's eat!" Sharpay exclaimed with satisfaction as she dove into her tofu salad like a mad woman.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

It was well past midnight and Chad Danforth still was not ready for sleep.

After the grueling day he'd just had being carted all over Chicago by the DeLeon clan, spending non-stop hours on shopping and tuxedo fittings, ending with a lavish dinner at a 5-star restaurant, he knew he should be knocking back zzzs's big time right now. And yet, for the last couple of hours all he could do was think about Taylor and the guilt he felt at how things had been left between them.

Chad knew he'd hurt her by seeming indifferent to her concerns about Marissa and for that he was truly sorry. Calling her jealous, untrusting, and insecure was definitely crossing the line and he worried that she would never forgive him or allow him the chance to make things up to her. He'd been calling Taylor's cell phone half the night since returning to his room at the hotel but she hadn't answered. She probably had it off while hanging out with Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay and Zeke just like they'd been doing practically every Saturday night since the start of the new school year. Just thinking about all of them having fun without him left Chad feeling disappointed and a little envious. He reached for his cell, considering whether or not to try reaching Taylor again, but opted for an alternative. He punched in a number and waited.

"Hello?" came a groggy voice over the line.

"Troy? Chad."

"Hey man, what's up?" Troy yawned, slowly rising up in bed at the sound of his best friend's voice.

"Not much," Chad confessed. "Just doing the checking in thing since I couldn't catch up with you earlier."

"Oh yeah…sorry about that. I must have turned my phone off by accident instead of just muting the ringer," Troy admitted rubbing sleep from his eyes. "After a few hours of Sharpay yakking at us about her "vision" for Senior Weekend I think I just went brain dead and forget about everything else, including checking on my phone even for messages."

"It's cool. No problem," Chad reassured. "So I guess you guys had a pretty good time tonight huh? Sharpay and all?"

"It was okay. Would have been a whole lot more fun though if you and Taylor had been around too," Troy admitted truthfully.

"What do you mean? Taylor didn't hang out with you guys tonight?" Chad asked trying to sound causal but coming across concerned. "How come?"

"Don't know really. Gabriella gave some excuse about homework which

Sharpay proceeded to shoot down. Zeke and I didn't buy it either. Too lame really, even if Taylor is a braniac. I figured she probably didn't want to seem like a 5th wheel since you were out of town so she either was at home or found something else to do," Troy explained.

For some reason the part about "something else to do" got to Chad but he didn't want to let on to his friend so he changed the subject slightly.

"I guess Gabriella told you about the fight we had. Taylor and I?"

"Yeah. She told me. Said Taylor was a mess after you left. Didn't get a grip until they were able to talk Friday morning after you had gone," Troy confessed. "Man Chad, you must have been pretty brutal to make a tough cookie like Taylor crumble."

Chad sighed. "I was a complete jerk Troy. I can't even defend my behavior toward Taylor it was just that bad. All she wanted was to talk about this Marissa thing and I practically bit her head off."

"Sounds like someone's got a guilty conscience," Troy stated, already knowing the answer.

"The guiltiest. All I know is that I'd be lost without Taylor not just as my girlfriend but as my friend. She's special to me just like Brie is to you," Chad admitted making no attempts to hide his real feelings behind a "guy" persona.

"I hear you," Troy replied. "When I thought I'd lost Gabriella this past summer getting caught up in Sharpay's games, I really didn't know what I would have done if she hadn't forgiven me and we had gotten back together."

"Exactly. That's why when I get back tomorrow I have to make things right between me and Tay."

"You will. Just believe that she loves you as much as you love her."

"I do," Chad said without hesitation. "It's just this thing with Marissa…it's got us all screwed up. More than anything I wish I didn't have to be her escort to this stupid debutante affair. I should have told my mom no right from the start when she asked me a month ago."

"Well it's kind of hard to say no to your mom," Troy advised. "You were only trying to make her happy and help her keep a promise to a friend."

"Yeah but in the process I've hurt the only girl I've ever been in love with so I can spend time with one I cut loose almost two years ago."

"No worries. Tomorrow you'll be back and you and Taylor can spend some quality time working things out," Troy promised hopefully.

"That's my intention. Thanks Troy for talking things out with me."

"What are friends for? Now get some sleep so you can handle your business mañana," Troy laughed. "Later."

"Later," Chad said, laughing too. Nobody was a better friend than Troy Bolton.

A half an hour later Chad was in bed and feeling good about his return home the next day. All he needed was some time with Taylor to really talk things out and give her the best apology ever and they'd be fine. Positive that all would be right again Chad rolled over and closed his eyes.

It was at that precise moment a soft a knock came to his door followed by the sound of Marissa's voice faintly calling his name from the other side. "Chad it's me Marissa. I need to talk with you. Please let me in…"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

Early Sunday morning...Taylor McKessie lays in bed wrapped in her dreams as warmly as she is her blanket...

_The main hallway of East High is all but deserted. A handful of students remain at day's end. They are putting books in backpacks as they prepare to head out for home. In the far off distance of the long corridor Taylor can see her friends, Gabriella and Troy, talking and holding hands, seemingly lost in their own little world. Together they push through the enormous double doors that lead out to the front of the school. As they walk hand-in-hand into the fading afternoon sunlight Taylor watches them laugh, completely at ease and happy just to be together. Then they are gone. The other students around her only moments before have now all gone too, almost as if they'd vanished into thin air. There is nothing left but the eerie quiet of the empty hallway and the sound of her own breathing. _

_Taylor closes her locker with a deep sigh. She is restless, her stomach in knots. The feeling of unexplainable loneliness is unshakable. Taylor shivers even though she isn't cold. Suddenly she senses someone behind her. Turning she is startled to see Chad standing before her, his beautiful brown eyes burning into her core. _

_"Taylor," he speaks her name softly, tenderly. _

_She grows weak in the knees, his gaze upon her casting a spell that roots her to the spot. All she can do is say his own name in return equally as soft with a pounding heart.  
_

_"Chad?" The word escapes her lips more like a question. _

_He nods, smiles, and then slowly begins to move toward her. In response she backs up against the locker door as if surrendering to some unknown force. Taylor is trembling but in a good way. Their eyes never leave the other. Chad puts down his backpack. He smoothly inches closer almost as if Taylor were his prey, and places both of his hands up against the locker door on either side of her shoulders until she is confined in one place with no hope of escape. He was so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his breath and smell the scent of his body. _

_"We need to talk Tay," Chad said, his face now only inches away from her own. "You nor I can go on like this." _

_Taylor nodded in agreement but couldn't find the power to speak. It was as if she were in a trance and the longer she looked into those dreamy eyes the more lost she became. She tried to open her mouth to say something but was prevented from doing so when Chad placed a gentle finger to her lips, ceasing her back into silence. On the outside she appeared calm and collected. On the inside Taylor's emotions were driving her crazy and some how she knew it was the same for him. _

_Suddenly and without warning, Chad closed the remaining gap between them as he leaned in and kissed her. The feel of his lips against her own sent fireworks off in Taylor's whole body and left her utterly breathless. The kiss started out gentle and teasing but in seconds an inferno began to rage between them and urgency took over. She was drowning in Chad's touch, his scent, his everything and she didn't want it to stop. They were lost in one another like they were the only two people in the world and it felt wonderful. After a few moments they pulled apart literally gasping for air. Chad caressed her face and then pulled her tightly into his arms. _

_"I love you Taylor McKessie. I always have and I always will," he whispered against her ear. _

_Taylor closed her eyes and savored that sweetest of moments as if it were her last. They stood their together, she and Chad, wrapped in each other's arms like there was nowhere else either wanted to be. Then in one swift moment everyhing changed. A dark forboding chill ran through Taylor's veins causing her to gasp aloud and release her hold on Chad. When she dared to open her eyes again he was gone..._

Taylor sat up in bed with a start, the sound of her beeping alarm clock pounding in her ears. She reached out a hand, still groggy with sleep, and shut it off.

Although barely awake, she could still feel the after effects of the dream's vividness and for some reason it concerned her greatly. What, if anything, did it mean? Was her subconscious trying to tell her something about she and Chad that she couldn't bear to face: that they might be torn apart from one another by unforseen circumstances?

Throwing back the covers, Taylor took a deep breath and sighed. She had never been one to put much stock in dreams but this one had gotten to her whether she believed in them or not. Being without Chad these past few days had been difficult. Missing him as much as she did Taylor wondered if the dream was merely a reinforcement of that fact but couldn't be sure. The only thing she did know in that moment was that if she and Chad couldn't find a way to stay strong and hold on to what they had, the love they shared could be lost to them forever and that reality terrified Taylor to no end.

Gabriella loved Sunday mornings. Out of all the day's of the week, it was the only one that offered her that perfect mix of peace and quiet she required in order to devote all her focus on her studies without interruption. Her mother was upstairs still soundly asleep and not one of their neighbors had yet to stir. The only sounds to be heard were that of the birds chirping happily among the occasional rustling of the trees. Gabriella was in heaven.

Taking a sip from her cup of peppermint tea she turned her attention back to the final paragraph of her English assignment due tomorrow before starting in on trigonometry. In a while she knew she'd be hearing from Troy, Sharpay and hopefully Taylor but for now she was content for the "me "time she'd stolen just for herself as had been her ritual ever since she was a little girl.

Unlike Gabriella, Sharpay's rise and shine ode to Sunday morning had yet to offically begin. She still lay sleeping in her pink and white wonderland of a bedroom, a near shrine to all things Broadway, dreaming for the 100th time that she was accepting her Tony Award for best actress in a musical.

Zeke's Sunday morning was all about food. He'd been up for hours gathering together all the ingriedients needed to pamper his family with a delectable brunch, the star of which would be his newly developed recipe for peach-mango french toast. Later, he was planning on whipping up a batch of rum raisin cookies made especially for Sharpay to take along with them on their date to play minature golf.

Troy was sleeping so soundly that he didn't know or care what day it was be it Sunday, Monday or beyond.

In Chicago, Chad's Sunday morning consisted of packing up the last of his things into his overnight bag. He was meeting the DeLeons downstairs in a few mintues to head off to the airport and it couldn't happen soon enough as far as he was concerned. After what happened last night, Chad couldn't wait to be away from all things Marissa even though he had nothing against her family. He'd already made his mind up to tell his parents that he'd changed his mind and could no longer be her escort. His mother would freak for sure and probably be terribly disappointed in his decision but Chad didn't care. He'd take whatever wrath came with the territory as long as he could be free of Marissa once and for all and get his focus back what mattered most to him...basketball, his friends and making things right with Taylor.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

_Early Sunday afernoon just after 1:00 p.m. Ten minutes have passed since Troy arrived at the Montez house..._

"So, what are we going to do about Chad and Taylor?" Gabriella put to Troy while handing over a glass of ice-cold lemonade as she sat down beside him on the porch swing. She casually tucked her knees beneath her awaiting his response.

Troy took a long sip of his drink, silently pondering the question.

"Well?" Gabriella pressed, anxiously hopeful that her boyfriend would say something to lessen her concerns.

"Give me a minute here Brie I'm thinking," Troy offered, his mind still toying with possibilities. He wanted to make sure he didn't say something stupid that she would shoot down as an option.

Sighing, Gabriella shifted forward until her head was gently resting against Troy's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't mean to be pushy."

"And what's wrong with pushy?" Troy joked putting an arm around her and giving a squeeze. "You just want what's best for our two closest friends as do I. The hard part right now is us figuring out just what that is."

"Exactly," Gabriella agreed. "It would be so much easier if Chad and Taylor weren't both so strong-willed and opinionated. Their biggest problem is that they can't seem to find any uninterrupted time to just sit down and talk things out."

"Well they already tried that last week and we all know how that turned out," Troy reminded. "They ended up having their worst argument yet."

"True," Gabriella conceded. "But they also had Chad's leaving town to go off with Marissa's family hanging over their heads which I'm sure put unwanted strain on the situation."

"You're probably right. I'm sure it was hard for Taylor to state her case without feeling some type of pressure, especially knowing that in a few hours no matter what was said her boyfriend would be off with his ex," Troy stated trying to see things from Taylor's point of view.

"Yep," Gabriella agreed. "And it had to have been the same for Chad. Imagine how he felt trying to reassure his girl while knowing he had to keep a promise that forced him have to spend time with Marissa irregardless. Knowing Taylor, she unintentionally said something that put him on the defensive and made him feel backed into a corner."

"And then came the big blow up with angry words and hurt feelings," Troy added.

"That would be my guess too," Gabriella said a bit wearily. "Everything after that just fell apart and now they are both lost and miserable without the other."

"Absolutely. You know I forgot to mention that he called me last night," Troy confided.

Gabriella raised her head from his shoulder and smiled. "Chad called you last night to talk about Taylor?"

"Yep," Troy nodded. "He sounded really down too. Said he couldn't sleep because he felt so guilty about how he'd left things between them. Trust me Brie the guy is really hurting over this situation."

"Taylor is too. I could hear it in her voice this morning when she called to see if we could get together this afternoon."

"What time are you meeting up?" Troy asked.

"Well I knew you were coming over for a little while so I told her we could meet about 3:00 p.m. at the foot of the bridge on Duncan's Lake," Gabriella informed. "I was hoping by then you and I could come up with something to help me help her with working things out with Chad."

Just then Troy's cellphone rang. He checked the caller ID and laughed.

"Speak of the devil," he said flipping open the phone and putting it to his ear.

"Hey man its me," came Chad's voice over the line. "I just got back in town."

"So I take it you survived the plane ride home?" Troy asked jokingly.

"Barely," Chad practically moaned. "I pretended to be asleep most of the way just so I wouldn't have to talk to Marissa."

Troy laughed. "Smooth move Danforth."

"Yeah, I'm such a prince aren't I?" Chad couldn't help but laugh too. "What are you doing?"

"I'm at Brie's house hanging out," Troy replied.

"Hi Chad," Gabriella called out in the background.

"She say's hi," Troy offered.

"Hey Brie," Chad answered back. "So are you two doing anything special this afternoon or do you have time for us to get together and talk?"

"No nothing special. We're supposed to meet up with Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and Kelsi to play some miniture golf later but that's not until around 4:00 p.m. so if you want to hook up before then it's doable," Troy stated.

"Is Taylor going with you guys?" Chad asked a little nervously.

"I'm pretty sure she was invited but Brie didn't mention if she planned on coming or not, especially since you weren't expected to be there," answered Troy.

"Well I've been trying to call her for the last half an hour but she's not picking up her phone," Chad said somewhat dejected. "I guess she's still not ready to talk to me yet, not that I blame her."

"No worries man. I think she's out with her mom for a little while. I'm sure you'll hear from her soon."

"Hope so because we really need to talk. The longer we leave things unresolved..."

"Like I said no worries," Troy interrupted. "How about you and I meet up at say around 3:00 p.m. at the bridge on Duncan's Lake? We can get a run in and then maybe grab a bite to eat?"

"I'm there bro," Chad stated, his tone of voice a little less edgy. "See you later then."

"Okay. See you later."

Troy hung up the phone and turned to Gabriella who was wearing a grin from ear to ear.

"Why Troy Bolton," she began to happily scold. "Aren't you just a sneaky little thing."

"What babe?" Troy chuckled with mock innocence.

"Don't what babe me," Gabriella laughed. "You just set your best friend up and he doesn't even have a clue. I love it!"

"Well you did ask me what we should do. What better way to get them alone together to talk than having them meet up at the same place and time not realizing that's what they are doing?"

"Exactly. They'll both think they are meeting up with you and me so they won't have time to overanalyze things and possibly back out of the opportunity they claim that they want to work things out," Gabriella stated completely impressed with Troy's ingenuity. "I think it's a brillant idea."

Troy and Gabriella hugged, happy that things seemed to be working out even though neither had had an actual plan in place. They were about to share a kiss when this time Gabriella's cellphone went off.

"I bet that's Taylor," Troy stated matter of fact.

Gabriella checked caller ID and nodded.

"It is," she said trying to contain her excitment. Things were truly going better than planned.

"Hey Tay," Gabriella answered trying not to sound overly giddy. "What's up?"

"Hey Brie. I just got back from shopping with my mom and stupid me had her cell off the whole time. I'm just calling to see if we're still on for later," Taylor said sounding a little less sad but not quite herself.

"Yep. We're still on. Duncan's Lake Bridge. 3:00 p.m."

"Great. Sounds like a plan."

"Have you heard from Chad yet?" Gabriella asked unable to resist, smiling at the plan she and Troy had in store for their two best friends.

"No," Taylor answered softly. "I don't know if he's back yet or that he wants to speak to me even if he is."

"No worries," Gabriella said using Troy's words to Chad. "Everything is gonna work out fine trust me."

"If you say so," Taylor sighed.

"I do. Just meet me at 3:00 p.m. okay?"

"Okay. See you then," Taylor said about to hang up just as Gabriella issued one last instruction.

"Tay?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't be late," Gabriella ordered ending the call.

Troy sat there amused and laughing.

"Nice work Montez. Very 007ish."

"Why thank you Bolton. Right back at you," Gabriella complimented in turn. "We make quite a team don't we?"

"That we do Montez. That we do," Troy laughed as he held up his hand so they could give each other a well deserved hi-five.

_The bridge at Duncan's Lake, 3:00 p.m._

When Taylor McKessie made it to the bridge promptly on time she was a little disappointed to find that Gabriella had yet to arrive. Walking over to an empty bench, she sat down and waited. While taking note of the steady stream of people parading past her, (young, old, families, friends, couples, etc.) Taylor's thoughts turned to the events of the last few days...

To say that she was hurt and disappointed at not receiving one single phone call from Chad while he was away was an understatement. She was left with no recourse but to assume that he was still very upset with her even though she admittedly had not called him either to try and break the ice between them. Taylor's intention had been to do so right after meeting up with Julian the day before, but that encounter had taken a slight turn and the opportunity to contact Chad had been lost in translation.

While Taylor had only thought she'd be in Julian's presence for an hour at best, she inadvertently had come into a situation that had her spending most of the afternoon into the early evening with he and his friends from the university. She still couldn't figure out how she had allowed him to so smoothly talk her into hanging out with a group of college students she didn't know from Adam, especially when all she wanted to do at the time was to go home to be alone with her thoughts about Chad. However, in retrospect, she couldn't deny she was glad for the experience when all was said and done. It just so happened that the friends of Julian's she'd been introduced to where all members of the University of New Mexico's Academic Decathlon team, which Taylor came to learn Julian was a member of as well. They had all gone out of their way to make her feel comfortable in their presence, not like a high school kid runing with the older crowd, and in the process had provided some invaluable techniques Taylor knew would well serve her own team at East High with their decathlon efforts. And while she couldn't wait to share those new ideas with Gabriella, a fellow teammate, she also wasn't looking forward to anymore speeches about Julian having ulterior motives where she was concerned. Not that it really mattered since no matter what Taylor's whole heart still belonged to Chad.

Jolted from her thoughts by a group of kids chasing after a stray ball that eventually led them all tumbling onto the grass in laughter, Taylor checked her watch to see what time it was. That's when she noticed a familiar face walking toward her and realized in shocked surprise that it was Chad! As he came closer Taylor could feel herself growing nervous as her stomach began to do tiny flips inside. She stood up from the bench, the two of them suddenly face-to-face.

"Taylor?" Chad questioned in breathless surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting to meet Brie," Taylor managed to choke out even though her throat was dry and her voice didn't sound like her own.

"Oh,"Chad replied sounding a little disappointed. "I thought you might be..."

"What are you doing here?" Taylor cut him off, the palms of her hands sweaty, her heart pounding a mile a minute.

"I'm...oh...I'm here to meet Troy," Chad answered trying to appear non-chalant about their encounter but knowing he was failing at a convincing pretense.

Taylor and Chad continued to stare in disbelief as if neither one could really believe the other was there when it suddenly dawned on them both what was happening.

"Troy and Gabriella set us up didn't they?" Chad was the first to say the obvious out loud.

Taylor nodded her head. "Looks that way to me. Those two sneaks."

"Make that devious sneaks," Chad added although for some reason he wasn't the least bit upset and for the first time in the last two days began to feel like his old self again.

Taylor laughed a little and felt herself relaxing a bit more as well.

"I guess Troy got tired of hearing me cry on his shoulder about you," Chad concluded as he thought to himself how good she looked and how happy he was to see her.

"Same for Gabriella I'm sure," Taylor admitted, her eyes watching Chad with love and longing. Boy had she missed him more than she thought possible.

They both sensed that the other wanted to say more but they were equally awkward in deciding which one of them should go first. A few quiet moments passed and then, totally in sync, they blurted out their "I'm sorries" at the exact same time which brought huge smiles to both their faces along with inward sighs of relief. Finally the gap between them was closing. Chad reached out and took Taylor's hand in his then brought it up to his lips and gently kissed it. Taylor nearly melted into a dreamy puddle right on the spot at the romantic un-Chad-like gesture.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," Chad said with total sincerity from the heart. "The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you or make you think you aren't as important to me as you are."

Taylor could feel herself getting misty-eyed under Chad's loving gaze and she squeezed his hand to say she understood completely. All thoughts of their argument and time apart seemed to vanish as the vibe between them seemed right once again. The urge to share a kiss at that moment was strong, but they both knew there were other matters to attend to first.

"Why don't we take a walk and find someplace a little more private where we can be alone and talk," Chad suggested gently pulling Taylor along as they started walking across the bridge toward an area in the distance where no people were around.

Taylor nodded happy to follow his lead.

_Sunday afternoon, the minature golf course, 4:30 p.m. _

"Oh for goodness sakes Kelsi. Would you hit the friggin ball before I'm old enough to collect social security," Sharapy snapped standing with the others on the sidelines of the 7th hole.

"Somebody's a little cranky," Troy mumbled under his breath which brought an elbow to the ribs from Gabriella.

"You're doing fine Kelsi. Just take your time," Ryan encouraged shooting his sister a sidway glance of annoyance.

"Yeah Kelsi. Just keep your eye on the ball and fire when ready," Zeke added siding with Ryan.

Kelsi took a deep breath and swung her club which connected perfectly with the baby blue golf ball and, to everyone's surprise, landed perfectly into the cup on the other side of a giant frog's gaping mouth.

"Nice going!" Ryan congratulated as Kelsi beamed at having made the difficult shot in spite of the pressure upon her.

Zeke let out a low whistle. "That was a good one. Better than any I've made so far."

"Nice job Kelsi," Gabriella chimed in laughing at the irritated expression on Sharpay's face.

"Way to go Kelsi," Troy said giving the play a big hand.

Sharpay rolled her eyes expasperated and stomped off in the direction of the 8th hole, a replica of the Effiel Tower. Zeke chased after her as Ryan went up to Kelsi and gave her a hi-five.

"I hope I didn't make Sharpay mad," Kelsi worried bending down to retrieve her ball.

"Who cares," Ryan stated taking her hand. "The point is that you made the shot and you did it better than anyone else, including my sister."

Kelsi smiled up at Ryan thankful he was being supportive in spite of Sharpay's mini tantrum.

"He's right Kelsi, you definitely outdid the rest of us," Gabriella stated as she and Troy came over hand-in-hand. "I bet you won't get asked to hurry it up anymore."

"Thanks guys," Kelsi said as Ryan pulled her in the direction that Zeke and Sharpay had gone.

"Serves Sharpay right for being so bossy," Troy chuckled. "That girl has got a competitve streak a mile long."

"Yes she does," Gabriella agreed. "I just hope she doesn't end up biting all our heads off before the game is over."

"Nice dream babe but this is Sharpay we're talking about. Can you say fat chance?" Troy joked.

Gabriella shook her head still smiling as she and Troy went to join the others. They had just come over to the 8th hole where Zeke was lining up his shot when they caught a glimpse of Chad and Taylor making their way through the crowd.

"Troy look! It's Chad and Taylor," Gabriella announced waving their friends over to where they were standing. "I guess our little plan worked after all."

"I guess so," Troy said giving Chad a hi-five as he and Taylor walked up to join the group.

"Hey you two," Gabriella greeted excited and happy to see both together.

"Hey guys," Kelsi, Ryan and Zeke called out in unison just as Zeke took his shot which did a crazy zig-zag, falling just short of a hole-in -one.

"What's up everybody!" Chad said with a smile as he held on tightly to Taylor's hand.

"Sorry we got here so late," Taylor apologized holding a pair of golf clubs in her free hand.

"No problem, we've only been playing for a half an hour or so," Ryan indicated casually. "Now the party can really begin that the whole gang is here."

"You know it!" Chad said relieving Taylor of his golf club as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

Troy and Gabriella eyed their public display of affection like two proud parents. Kelsi and Ryan both snickered knowingly.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the missing in action duo," Sharpay quipped somewhat sacrastically, miffed by yet another interruption. "Danforth and McKessie you're late."

"We know and we are sorry," Taylor explained as Troy, Chad and Gabriella just rolled their eyes.

"Just don't make a habit of it?" Sharpay scolded as she went to take her turn on the course. "It's bad enough you stood us all up last night. If we are gonna hang out together there are certain rules of courtesy that must be adhered to."

"Give it a rest Shar," Troy groaned in their friends' defense. "Chad and Taylor are here now and that's all that matters."

"Yeah babe it's no big deal," Zeke agreed. "Why don't you just chill. Are you hungry? Want a cookie?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes when she say Zeke produce a baggie out of his coat pocket filled with the bite-sized sugar cookies he knew she loved. Everyone else started laughing hysterically.

"No I don't want a cookie Mr. Smarty I want to finish playing without anymore interruptions."

"So play already and quite yapping about it," Gabriella taunted.

"Fine!" Sharpay shouted as she positioned herself and, with the power of annoyance behind her swing, hit the ball so hard that she pratically took the heads off of a group of players way over on the 11th hole. The afternoon definitely promised to be anything but boring after that.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

_Sunday Evening, 6:00 p.m._

Troy, Gabriella, Chad and Taylor were having a blast!

After the drama at the miniture golf course where Sharpay nearly sent a West High senior to the hospital with the lethal hit of a golf ball and Kelsi ended up being the overall winner by the 18th hole, the group went their separate ways. Zeke and Sharpay were off to a movie while Ryan and Kelsi went for ice cream sodas. Gabriella invited Troy, Chad and Taylor to her house for a backyard barbecue.

Once they'd arrived back at Gabriella's, the guys had gotten to work putting the burgers and chicken on the grill, while the girls prepared the salad, baked beans and a huge pitcher of iced-tea, they all sat around in the Montez' backyard laughing, talking and listening to music. The last of Indian Summer was upon them which kept the evening warm and comfortable, the sky a burst of vibrant colors that eventually gave way to a cloudless starry night.

As they all sat eating dessert, chocolate-cherry mousse topped with fresh whipped cream, Chad and Taylor playfully scolded Gabriella and Troy for setting them up at the bridge earlier that day, but also thanked them for their concern and friendship. Then they all decided to play a very competitive game of Monoploy with Troy coming out the winner. Before the evening came to an end, Gabriella put on one of her mother's favorite old school songs and the two couples shared a romantic slow dance under the stars. All in all it was a totally perfect evening, one of the best they'd ever shared.

At 10:00 p.m. Taylor and Chad said their goodnights, promising to meet up with their friends the next morning. Troy helped Gabriella clean up and then he too was ready to leave. They stood together at the back gate wrapped in each others, neither one wanting the magical evening to end.

"Tonight was great," Gabriella sighed against Troy's shoulder with contentment.

"It was the best," Troy agreed holding her tighter. "Everything worked out after all."

"Yes it did and I can't thank you enough for all your help," Gabriella stated lifting her head to give Troy a dazzling smile.

"Any time," he said caressing the softness of her cheek.

They shared a tender kiss.

"So you'll pick me up in the morning?" Gabriella asked.

"Like always," Troy replied giving her one last hug.

They kissed again and then Gabriella stood leaning against the gate, watching Troy as he got into his car. When he was gone she sighed happily and then went inside to get ready for bed.

_Taylor's House_

Chad and Taylor were standing on the front porch of the McKessie house kissing like crazy. Taylor knew she should be worried that they might be seen by a nosy neighbor but didn't really care she was so happy to be in Chad's arms again. When they finally came up for air they both looked at each other and laughed.

"Tonight was amazing,"Chad said still a little out of breath, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"The whole day was amazing," Taylor replied. "This morning here I was thinking I had lost you and now look at us...closer than ever."

"And it's gonna stay that way," Chad promised placing the sweetest of kisses on the top of her nose.

Taylor giggled. "When did you become such a romantic Chad Danforth?"

"Must be what happens to a guy when he's away from his girl for too long," Chad joked easily.

"Speaking of which, you still haven't told me how things went in Chicago. Did everything turn out okay?" Taylor asked without a hint of insecurity in her voice.

For a moment Chad was caught off guard by Taylor's question having put the entire Chicago escapade out of his mind, especially the encounter in his room with Marissa. He suddenly had a flashback to the one thing he definitely wanted to forget...

_...Marissa was standing outside Chad's hotel room practically begging to be let in. At first he pretended not to hear her but when she wouldn't go away he finally got out of bed and opened the door. She was standing in the hallway wearing short silky pajamas loosely covered with a kimono-style robe. _

_"What do you want Marissa?" Chad snapped trying to keep his voice down so as not to draw any attention even though it seemed everyone on his floor was asleep. _

_"I need to talk to you about something," Marissa answered in a shy voice, almost reminiscent of a little girl's. _

_"Can't it wait until the morning? I'm really tired," Chad's tone was anything but inviting. _

_"I promise, it will only take a few minutes and then you can go back to sleep," Marissa coaxed in that tiny whisper of a voice. _

_"Fine," Chad said opening the door wide enough for her to step inside. _

_Once she'd gained entry, Marissa walked over to Chad's rumpled bed with an air of confidence and sat down. _

_"Nice room," she commented surveying her surroundings while crossing long legs for Chad's benefit._

_"What's this all about Marissa?" Chad questioned hovering over her, his arms crossed in front of his well defined chest. "I don't think your folks would be too happy about your being in my room at this time of night. I know I'm not."_

_"Chad, Chad, Chad," Marissa chided with a devious sort of smile on her lips. "You know you really need to relax."_

_"I'll relax once you're gone. Now what do you want?" Chad demanded, his patience running thin. He couldn't believe he once used to like her as much as he had when just being in her presence these days irritated him to no end. _

_"Well..."Marissa began as she stood up from the bed so they were standing face-to face. "I first wanted to thank you for agreeing to be my escort to the ball. I know it's really not your thing so it means a lot that you agreed to do it."_

_"And?" Chad growled unaffected by her prettiness framed by a tumble of chestnut colored curls. _

_"And I just wanted to tell you that when you get tired of Taylor the brain I'll be waiting," Marissa revealed placing a tenative hand on his arm. _

_Chad laughed in her face. "Waiting for what?"_

_"For you and I to get back together of course silly," Marissa stated inching a little closer to him. "I know deep down that's what you really want, the way it should be...the jock and the cheerleader. Being with a girl like Taylor does nothing but hurt your image."_

_"I love Taylor," Chad said without hesitation. "She's the best thing that has ever happened to me. With her I don't need to have an image. I can just be myself. That's the way I like it."_

_Marissa tsked tsked at his words. "You really expect me to believe that you truly love that drip and would take her over me?"_

_"Absolutely."_

_"Well it's a good thing I know you better then you know yourself Chad Danforth."_

_And before Chad could say another word Marissa threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. First shocked then instantly angered, he tried to push her away but she only laughed, refusing to let go. _

_"Don't fight what you and I both know you still feel for me Chad," Marissa taunted as his hands furiously worked to free himself from her grip. "You and I are meant to be together and sooner or later you're going to come to your senses and see that I'm right."_

_"Get off of me!" Chad yelled unable to believe this was really happening, wondering if she'd finally lost her mind. _

_Marissa went in for another kiss, this one lasting longer than the first, and it was in that moment that the door to Chad's hotel room suddenly opened and they were both blinded by a flash of light. Someone was taking a picture of them. _

_"What the hell?" Chad exclaimed finallybreaking her hold on him, blinking his eyes until he could focus clearly again. _

_He looked to the doorway of his room to see who was there with camera in hand but saw nothing and no one. Turning to Marissa, he saw she was wearing a satisfised grin. _

_"Thanks for the talk Chad. See you in the morning." And then she strolled leisurely out of his room closing the door behind her. _

_Chad just stood there too shocked to move, completely dumbfounded trying to figure out what had just happened and why... _

"Earth to Chad," came the softness of Taylor's voice, bringing him back to the present. "Where did you go?"

Instead of giving her an answer, Chad said nothing and just pulled Taylor into his arms like he never wanted to let her go and sighed. She hugged him back.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah...everything's fine. I'm just tired," Chad managed to get out, avoiding any further discussion of his trip to Chicago.

"Me too. I think I'd better go in now before my folks send out a search party," Taylor laughed. "See you in the morning?"

"In the morning," Chad mumbled absently as she gave him one last kiss.

Reluctantly Taylor left the warmth of his arms, opened her front door and went inside.

After she was gone, Chad stood there on the front porch for a few seconds longer, the flashback nagging at his brain. He had tried not to think about what had happened in his room, made easier by the fact that the very next day when he'd gone to confront Marissa before departing the hotel she had immediately apologized for her behavior. She told Chad she was sorry, admitted how stupid she'd been while promising to rip up the picture of them together and for him to forget about the whole incident.

At the time that's all he wanted to do since the only thing on his mind was getting home and making up with Taylor. So thinking they were in agreement that what had happened the night before was as big a mistake as it seemed, he took Marissa's advice and put it out of his head believing that she would do the same. But now with Taylor's asking after his trip coupled with the flashback that filled him with unease, Chad couldn't seem to shake the nagging in his gut that maybe the whole issue wasn't quite as over as he thought and wanted to believe.

_Late Sunday night, 11:30 p.m._

Julian Blanchard was just about to turn in for the night when his cellphone went off.

"Hello?"

"Julian? It's me," came the familiar voice of his favorite cousin. "We're you asleep?"

"Not quite. When did you get in from your trip?" Julian asked reclining onto his bed.

"Hours and hours ago. I'm totally exhausted but I couldn't go to sleep until I checked in with you. How did things go this weekend? Did you manage to work your magic on Taylor?"

Julian chuckled. His cousin was quite a piece of work.

"If you're asking did we spend time together and was she put under my spell the answer is yes and no."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means darling cousin that we hung out as planned, for quite a bit of time I might add, but Taylor McKessie is far from swooning at my feet or running to my beck and call."

"Hmmm...sounds like you might be losing your touch Jules. The day you can't get a girl to worship the ground you walk on in all of five seconds is a sad day indeed."

"Very funny," Julian replied calmly. "I suppose all this late night concern for my standing where the affections of one Taylor McKessie is concerned means your own little plan didn't go off quite as you had hoped. Could it be that Chad Danforth is still just as crazy about his girlfriend as he was before you and the family whisked him off for a worldwind weekend in the Windy City?"

Marissa DeLeon heard her cousin snicker over the other end of the line and wanted to smack him. She was about to say something viscious and nasty but thought better of it as she still needed Julian's help to get back what was rightfully hers.

"I'll admit that my attempt to get Chad to see what a fool he is making of himself by falling all over Ms. Big Brain didn't go as well as I would have liked, but the weekend wasn't a total loss," Marissa informed somewhat smugly.

"Oh really?" Julian responded, his curiosity peaked. "Do tell."

"All I'll say is that while most of the weekend was a loss because Chad seemed like he wanted to be somewhere else the whole time, I was able to score an advantage point or two with a late visit to his hotel room last night," Marissa confessed.

"And just what happened last night between you and the great Chad Danforth little cousin?" Julian inquired hungry for details.

"Let me put it to you this way...we shared a very special moment that I was fortunate enough to have preserved should proof of such ever become required," Marissa stated with confident satisfaction.

"Pictures? You got pictures?"

"One picture and it's all I need."

"Only one? Cousin it sounds like you are the one who is slipping," Julian chuckled in amusement. "I thought I taught you better than that?"

"You wish," Marissa replied reaching for the evidence she spoke of perched on her nightstand. She fingered the photograph longingly. "If you can't woo Taylor away from Chad then I have the one thing that will definitely end their relationship once and for all."

"Are you sure you are willing to take such a huge risk by doing something like that?" Julian cautioned. "You may very well turn Taylor against Chad with your "evidence", but what makes you think Chad won't hate you for it, especially if Taylor's heart gets broken in the process?"

"Well if you play your part right Taylor will never have to know and Chad will see her as the one who betrayed him not the other way around. He'll have no reason whatsoever to blame me for their break up and I'll be free to comfort him through his pain. Now the only question that remains is are you still in or out?"

"Oh I'm still in," Julian assured. "I like Taylor...alot. Danforth isn't up to her caliber and in my opinion she could do so much better for herself."

"Glad to hear it," Marissa replied with hearty approval.

"But just remember cousin, if this thing backfires on either of us in any way, we can kiss any chance we might have with Taylor or Chad good-bye," Julian warned.

"You just worry about your end of things and I'll worry about mine," Marissa stated unphased by his warning. "Chad and I belong together and that's that. Whether or not Taylor McKessie winds up in your arms or not is of no concern to me. I just want her out of Chad's life for good."

"Fine Risa. But heed my warning. Getting Taylor out of Chad's life may seem simple enough, but it is not the same as getting her out of his heart. Just remember that."

"I'll remember. Good night cousin."

"Good night."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII

The madness was on and popping. For the next several weeks, the lives of Chad, Taylor, Gabriella, Troy and the others were spent studying for mid-terms and the dreaded SAT's, sending out college submission letters, finalizing plans for Senior Weekend which would take place over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Winter Wonderland Festival right before Christams, and just getting back into a normal routine of finding the time to hang out as friends and couples.

They'd all just attended Sharpay and Ryan's annual costume ball for Halloween held at their family's country club the previous weekend, but were now once again in serious school mode trying to juggle an assortment of various activities.

Aside from their studies, Troy, Chad and Zeke had begun their grueling training for the start of basketball season only a few months away, while Gabriella and Taylor were putting in extra time on team strategy for the upcoming decathlon events. Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan were all working to come up with new ideas not only for the Winter Wonderland event in December, but the always popular Spring Musical that Troy and Gabriella had previously taken by storm, and which Mrs. Darbus had already made perfectly clear she wanted to be the best one yet in the coming year. Everyone's schedule was more than jammed packed. In fact, they were all so busy with their respective lives collectively that none of them were the least bit aware that their were other forces at work around them that would flip some of their well planned scripts, and have them seeking answers and resolutions to some totally unexpected obstacles.

_The East High cafeteria, Friday afternoon, 2nd week of November..._

Sharpay Evans looked at the stack of papers before her on the lunchroom table and groaned. "If things don't stop getting crazier around here by the minute I may need to hire a personal assistant just to take my calls."

Zeke and Gabriella suddenly looked up in unison from their lunches and quietly awaited the full blown rant they both knew was coming. Sharpay did not disappoint.

"I mean really. Would you just look at all this," Sharpay exclaimed sweeping her hand over the pile of work before her. "I've still got unconfirmed seniors making off the wall suggestions concerning the weekend event in a few weeks...a toga party for goodness sakes, as if...while at the same time Darbus is giving me grief over the details for WW (Winter Wonderland), on top of my trying to keep my grades up while still finding time to put together my new musical numbers for WW and the Spring musical, and shop for the right costumes. I tell you it's just madness."

"Take it easy babe," Zeke said reaching out to give Sharpay's back a soothing rub. "It'll be alright. You've pretty much got things in order for Senior Weekend and WW. Everything else will fall into place too, you just need to pace yourself, be patient and give it some time."

"Time?" Sharpay snapped. "Time is against me right now Zeke. You may only have your precious basketball practice and your studies to worry about right now but the honor of the entire senior class is resting on my shoulders at the moment."

Gabriella released a low snicker as she took in a forkful of salad, wondering how much longer it would be before Chad, Taylor, Troy, Kelsi and Ryan showed up. She and Zeke alone were not gonna be enough reinforcement to handle yet another of Sharpay's desperate diva meltdowns. Luckily, just then Ryan and Kelsi appeared and sat down.

"Hey guys," Kelsi said happy to finally be out of English class.

"Did we miss anything?" Ryan asked shaking up a carton of milk before arranging the food on his tray.

"Nothing besides Sharpay flipping out for the 10th time this week," Zeke joked which got him a sharp elbow to the ribs.

"Yep," Gabriella agreed laughing. "Your sister's going ape over the trials of being Sharpay Evans which I have to say has been quite entertaining."

Sharpay hmmpfed. "I'm glad you find my distress so amusing Gabriella. If you were a real friend you wouldn't be making fun of my pain and instead would be offering up support and encouragement."

Gabriella rolled her eyes upward and sighed. "I'm sorry Sharpay but your tendency to play drama queen does call for some funny moments of which this is one. If you'd stop to take a deep breath for a second you'd realize that you've had the senior weekend and WW under control, well organized and in place since last week with only a few minor details that really need to be attended to and nothing you can't handle. What you need to do now is just chill."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Sharpay asked, bringing her hyseterics down a notch.

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is," Gabriella stated.

"She's right sis," Ryan cut in. "You've got things well in hand. You just won't ease up enough to realize it for yourself."

Sharpay took their words in for consideration. Maybe they were right.

"Well...it's just..," she looked for a way to explain her frustation to her friends.

"It's just that you are a control freak who never cuts herself any slack," Zeke offered. "We all know once you put your mind to something there's no stopping you. Now all you have to do is appreciate that fact and just go with the flow."

In the midst of her crankiness Sharpay suddnely found a smile and leaned over to kiss Zeke on the cheek indirecty conceding that he and the others spoke the truth.

"I guess you're right. I can't help myself from getting worked up because I want everything we do our senior year to be perfect."

"We are right no buts about it," Gabriella stated. "Now can we all finish our lunch in peace and maybe talk about what the plan is for this weekend?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and they started throwing out suggestions of how to spend their two and a half days of freedom away from school. Shortly thereafter, Troy appeared with a tray of food, sliding in next to Gabriella.

"Hey guys sorry I'm late," he said kissing his girl on the cheek before immediately diving into his lunch.

"Where are Chad and Taylor?" Zeke asked already finished eating.

Troy swallowed a mouthful of food before answering. "Chad's with my dad down in the gym going over a few plays he wants him to master for next season. Don't know about Taylor."

Gabriella jumped in. "Taylor went to see Mr. Wilson about decathlon business and said she'd join us in a bit."

"Typical McKessie. Brown-nosing before lunch," Sharpay joked only no one else found her comment funny.

"Just drop it Shar," Gabriella warned.

While she wasn't about to make a bigger deal out of Taylor's absence at the table, inwardly she was a little concerned that her best friend hadn't shown up yet from a meeting that was only suppose to have taken a few minutes. Gabriella wondered if something else was up even though she showed no outward concern to the others who were busy chatting and eating without care.

Chad had finally left Coach Bolton's office on his way to meet the gang and grab some lunch in the cafeteria, when he remembered Taylor asking him to meet her at Wilson's classroom so they could go in to lunch together. Turning down the corridor that housed all of the math and science classes, Chad came to a stop outside the door to advanced trig and instantly didn't like what he saw when he looked inside. First off Mr. Wilson was nowhere to be seen. Second, he caught a glimpse of Taylor standing and laughing with that teaching assistant, Julian something, and it instantly caused a noticeable pang of jealousy. It was something in the way the tall, handsome college student seemed so at ease and almost in awe of Taylor that unnerved Chad the most, not to mention the way the guy was looking at her. He knew what that look meant and he didn't like nor appreciate it one bit. He also wasn't too thrilled at how comfortable Taylor seemed in Julian's presence either.

"So what? Now you've added spying to your list of talents Chad Danforth?" came a voice from behind that startled his attention away from what was taking place in Wilson's classroom.

Chad turned around and saw Marissa standing there decked out in her cheerleading uniform, pom-poms in hand. She peaked over his shoulder through the window, then looked back at him with a knowing smile.

"Looks like Taylor has found other interests to keep her occupied," she taunted, loving the sight of obvious distress on Chad's face at seeing his girlfriend having a good time with her cousin.

Marissa still hadn't forgiven him for backing out of being her escort at the debutante ball at the last minute, which was a great upset to both their parents, or the effort it had taken to find a replacement on such short notice. But she hid her rage well knowing that payback for that humilation as well as choosing to still flaunt his feelings for Taylor in spite of her was soon to come to him one way or another.

"What are you doing here?" Chad snapped in annoyance, anxious to get back to what was going on with Taylor and Julian in that room. "Don't you have some cartwheels or flips or something you should be off doing?"

Marissa laughed, enjoying his discomfort with each passing moment that his girlfriend remained unaware of his presence on the other side of the door, all her attention being lavished on someone else like she didn't have a care in the world.

"Don't bite my head off Danforth. It's not my fault your significant other is in there yakking it up with a gorgeous member of the opposite sex. I was simply passing by and thought I'd say hi."

"Okay you've said hi. Now can you leave?" Chad asked angrily, disliking the unnecessary distraction she presented.

"With pleasure," Marissa stated turning to walk away.

She had only gone a few steps when she glanced back to see Chad at the classroom window again, trying to figure out a way to break up the little party going on inside. Marissa couldn't be more delighted to see him so upset and couldn't resist twisting the knife a little deeper either.

"Oh Chad," she called out who turned in her direction with a "why are you still here" look on his face. "I heard that guy, Julian, is a real ladies man. I'd watch my back if I were you."

Chad rolled his eyes as his ex sauntered off down the hallway, her short skirt and pom-poms swaying triumphantly. He wanted to shout something at her retreating form that would squash her smugness but thought better of it. He was far more interested in what the present girlfriend was doing than his past one.

Unable to take the sight of Taylor and Julian chatting away any longer, Chad turned the door knob about to enter the room when Taylor caught sight of him standing there and waved him inside.

"Hey baby. I was wondering where you were," she said just as Chad closed the door behind him, his eyes shooting daggers in the direction of his possible competition.

Taylor immediately left Julian's side and rushed up to Chad giving him a kiss.

"Sorry I'm late Tay. My talk with coach took longer than expected. You ready to go to lunch?"

"Yep. I'm starving," Taylor answered with a smile and eyes only for him. "But first I want to introduce you to Mr. Wilson's assistant and team advisor for the academic decathlon."

Taylor took Chad's hand and walked him over to where Julian stood with a rather cocky look on his face, very much aware of his rival's displeasure at seeing he and his girlfriend appearing so cozy.

"Chad Danforth this is Juian Blanchard," Taylor introduced, unaware of the testosterone flying around the room of which she was the cause.

The last thing Chad wanted to do was shake this guy's hand, especially since he couldn't keep his eyes off Taylor, but he reached out his own anyway, which Julian took mockingly.

"I've heard a lot about you Chad," Julian stated sizing him up for future reference.

"Is that so?" Chad replied rather cooly. "Funny, but Taylor hasn't mentioned you a whole lot. At least not to me."

"Really?" Julian countered smoothly. "That's too bad. It's probably because I'm only here a few days a week and just a part-time teaching assistant, moreso for my benefit than the class'."

"And why is that?" Chad questioned, his ego fueling his dislike of Julian even more.

"Well my being here is mostly about gaining credits to up my GPA for my own college coursework while I earn my degree. I'm just an extra hand around here to give Mr. Wilson some breathing room and provide minimal assistance where needed."

Taylor gasped in disbelief. "How can you say that Julian? You have been a major influence on our class this term and most defintely a huge help when it comes to preparing for the academic decathlon. Don't you dare sell yourself short like that."

"What a sweet thing to say Taylor," Julian beamed giving her a tiny wink that did not go unnoticed by Chad whose blood was on the verge of boiling. "You're one lucky guy Danforth to have someone like her in your corner."

Chad wanted to punch the jerk for openly flirting with his girl right in his face, completely aware of what he was doing and not giving a damn. Even worse was that Taylor appeared to really look up to him while oblivious to the fact that this Julian character had a thing for her. Chad wasn't feeling any of it at all.

He turned to his girlfriend eager to bolt and asked again, "So you ready to go to lunch?"

Looking between he and Julian, Taylor took his hand again and said yes.

"Great because I'm starving and everyone's waiting on us," Chad announced, letting Mr. GQ Smooth know his time with them both was up.

Julian got the message sent loud and clear. "Yeah Taylor you and Chad should really get something to eat before your next class starts. I'll be around later if you want to finish our talk."

"Thanks," Taylor said.

"It was nice to have finally met you Chad. Hope we can do it again," Julian offered in a sincere tone that was strictly meant for other ears. "Any friend of Taylor's is a friend of mine."

"Boyfriend," Chad corrected a little too quickly which caused Taylor to give him a strange look out of the corner of her eye.

Julian laughed at the senior's bravado. He definitely was one that wasn't going to go down lightly. "Yeah, I got that part."

"Glad you did," Chad added with every territorial bone in his body. "Later."

"Definitely," came Julian's response to being put on notice of where he stood as he watched Taylor follow Chad out the classroom door.

When they got out into the hallway and had walked a short distance Taylor stopped in her tracks and turned to her obviously displeased boyfriend to ask, "You want to tell me what that was all about back there?"

Chad tried to play his behavior off. "What are you talking about?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about Chad. You were practically snarling at Julian by the time we left. What gives?"

"Was I?" he continued to feign innocence although he knew she could see right through him.

"Okay, I can see you don't want to get into this right now and that's fine. Frankly, I'm in no mood to argue with you when we barely have half of the lunch period left so I'll drop the subject for the time being. But trust we will be talking about it later," Taylor promised both surprised and annoyed by his attitude.

"Fine," Chad said.

"Fine," Taylor shot back.

And they both resumed their walk in the direction of the cafeteria.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VII

The madness was on and popping. For the next several weeks, the lives of Chad, Taylor, Gabriella, Troy and the others were spent studying for mid-terms and the dreaded SAT's, sending out college submission letters, finalizing plans for Senior Weekend which would take place over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Winter Wonderland Festival right before Christams, and just getting back into a normal routine of finding the time to hang out as friends and couples.

They'd all just attended Sharpay and Ryan's annual costume ball for Halloween held at their family's country club the previous weekend, but were now once again in serious school mode trying to juggle an assortment of various activities.

Aside from their studies, Troy, Chad and Zeke had begun their grueling training for the start of basketball season only a few months away, while Gabriella and Taylor were putting in extra time on team strategy for the upcoming decathlon events. Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan were all working to come up with new ideas not only for the Winter Wonderland event in December, but the always popular Spring Musical that Troy and Gabriella had previously taken by storm, and which Mrs. Darbus had already made perfectly clear she wanted to be the best one yet in the coming year. Everyone's schedule was more than jammed packed. In fact, they were all so busy with their respective lives collectively that none of them were the least bit aware that their were other forces at work around them that would flip some of their well planned scripts, and have them seeking answers and resolutions to some totally unexpected obstacles.

_The East High cafeteria, Friday afternoon, 2nd week of November..._

Sharpay Evans looked at the stack of papers before her on the lunchroom table and groaned. "If things don't stop getting crazier around here by the minute I may need to hire a personal assistant just to take my calls."

Zeke and Gabriella suddenly looked up in unison from their lunches and quietly awaited the full blown rant they both knew was coming. Sharpay did not disappoint.

"I mean really. Would you just look at all this," Sharpay exclaimed sweeping her hand over the pile of work before her. "I've still got unconfirmed seniors making off the wall suggestions concerning the weekend event in a few weeks...a toga party for goodness sakes, as if...while at the same time Darbus is giving me grief over the details for WW (Winter Wonderland), on top of my trying to keep my grades up while still finding time to put together my new musical numbers for WW and the Spring musical, and shop for the right costumes. I tell you it's just madness."

"Take it easy babe," Zeke said reaching out to give Sharpay's back a soothing rub. "It'll be alright. You've pretty much got things in order for Senior Weekend and WW. Everything else will fall into place too, you just need to pace yourself, be patient and give it some time."

"Time?" Sharpay snapped. "Time is against me right now Zeke. You may only have your precious basketball practice and your studies to worry about right now but the honor of the entire senior class is resting on my shoulders at the moment."

Gabriella released a low snicker as she took in a forkful of salad, wondering how much longer it would be before Chad, Taylor, Troy, Kelsi and Ryan showed up. She and Zeke alone were not gonna be enough reinforcement to handle yet another of Sharpay's desperate diva meltdowns. Luckily, just then Ryan and Kelsi appeared and sat down.

"Hey guys," Kelsi said happy to finally be out of English class.

"Did we miss anything?" Ryan asked shaking up a carton of milk before arranging the food on his tray.

"Nothing besides Sharpay flipping out for the 10th time this week," Zeke joked which got him a sharp elbow to the ribs.

"Yep," Gabriella agreed laughing. "Your sister's going ape over the trials of being Sharpay Evans which I have to say has been quite entertaining."

Sharpay hmmpfed. "I'm glad you find my distress so amusing Gabriella. If you were a real friend you wouldn't be making fun of my pain and instead would be offering up support and encouragement."

Gabriella rolled her eyes upward and sighed. "I'm sorry Sharpay but your tendency to play drama queen does call for some funny moments of which this is one. If you'd stop to take a deep breath for a second you'd realize that you've had the senior weekend and WW under control, well organized and in place since last week with only a few minor details that really need to be attended to and nothing you can't handle. What you need to do now is just chill."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Sharpay asked, bringing her hyseterics down a notch.

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is," Gabriella stated.

"She's right sis," Ryan cut in. "You've got things well in hand. You just won't ease up enough to realize it for yourself."

Sharpay took their words in for consideration. Maybe they were right.

"Well...it's just..," she looked for a way to explain her frustation to her friends.

"It's just that you are a control freak who never cuts herself any slack," Zeke offered. "We all know once you put your mind to something there's no stopping you. Now all you have to do is appreciate that fact and just go with the flow."

In the midst of her crankiness Sharpay suddnely found a smile and leaned over to kiss Zeke on the cheek indirecty conceding that he and the others spoke the truth.

"I guess you're right. I can't help myself from getting worked up because I want everything we do our senior year to be perfect."

"We are right no buts about it," Gabriella stated. "Now can we all finish our lunch in peace and maybe talk about what the plan is for this weekend?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and they started throwing out suggestions of how to spend their two and a half days of freedom away from school. Shortly thereafter, Troy appeared with a tray of food, sliding in next to Gabriella.

"Hey guys sorry I'm late," he said kissing his girl on the cheek before immediately diving into his lunch.

"Where are Chad and Taylor?" Zeke asked already finished eating.

Troy swallowed a mouthful of food before answering. "Chad's with my dad down in the gym going over a few plays he wants him to master for next season. Don't know about Taylor."

Gabriella jumped in. "Taylor went to see Mr. Wilson about decathlon business and said she'd join us in a bit."

"Typical McKessie. Brown-nosing before lunch," Sharpay joked only no one else found her comment funny.

"Just drop it Shar," Gabriella warned.

While she wasn't about to make a bigger deal out of Taylor's absence at the table, inwardly she was a little concerned that her best friend hadn't shown up yet from a meeting that was only suppose to have taken a few minutes. Gabriella wondered if something else was up even though she showed no outward concern to the others who were busy chatting and eating without care.

Chad had finally left Coach Bolton's office on his way to meet the gang and grab some lunch in the cafeteria, when he remembered Taylor asking him to meet her at Wilson's classroom so they could go in to lunch together. Turning down the corridor that housed all of the math and science classes, Chad came to a stop outside the door to advanced trig and instantly didn't like what he saw when he looked inside. First off Mr. Wilson was nowhere to be seen. Second, he caught a glimpse of Taylor standing and laughing with that teaching assistant, Julian something, and it instantly caused a noticeable pang of jealousy. It was something in the way the tall, handsome college student seemed so at ease and almost in awe of Taylor that unnerved Chad the most, not to mention the way the guy was looking at her. He knew what that look meant and he didn't like nor appreciate it one bit. He also wasn't too thrilled at how comfortable Taylor seemed in Julian's presence either.

"So what? Now you've added spying to your list of talents Chad Danforth?" came a voice from behind that startled his attention away from what was taking place in Wilson's classroom.

Chad turned around and saw Marissa standing there decked out in her cheerleading uniform, pom-poms in hand. She peaked over his shoulder through the window, then looked back at him with a knowing smile.

"Looks like Taylor has found other interests to keep her occupied," she taunted, loving the sight of obvious distress on Chad's face at seeing his girlfriend having a good time with her cousin.

Marissa still hadn't forgiven him for backing out of being her escort at the debutante ball at the last minute, which was a great upset to both their parents, or the effort it had taken to find a replacement on such short notice. But she hid her rage well knowing that payback for that humilation as well as choosing to still flaunt his feelings for Taylor in spite of her was soon to come to him one way or another.

"What are you doing here?" Chad snapped in annoyance, anxious to get back to what was going on with Taylor and Julian in that room. "Don't you have some cartwheels or flips or something you should be off doing?"

Marissa laughed, enjoying his discomfort with each passing moment that his girlfriend remained unaware of his presence on the other side of the door, all her attention being lavished on someone else like she didn't have a care in the world.

"Don't bite my head off Danforth. It's not my fault your significant other is in there yakking it up with a gorgeous member of the opposite sex. I was simply passing by and thought I'd say hi."

"Okay you've said hi. Now can you leave?" Chad asked angrily, disliking the unnecessary distraction she presented.

"With pleasure," Marissa stated turning to walk away.

She had only gone a few steps when she glanced back to see Chad at the classroom window again, trying to figure out a way to break up the little party going on inside. Marissa couldn't be more delighted to see him so upset and couldn't resist twisting the knife a little deeper either.

"Oh Chad," she called out who turned in her direction with a "why are you still here" look on his face. "I heard that guy, Julian, is a real ladies man. I'd watch my back if I were you."

Chad rolled his eyes as his ex sauntered off down the hallway, her short skirt and pom-poms swaying triumphantly. He wanted to shout something at her retreating form that would squash her smugness but thought better of it. He was far more interested in what the present girlfriend was doing than his past one.

Unable to take the sight of Taylor and Julian chatting away any longer, Chad turned the door knob about to enter the room when Taylor caught sight of him standing there and waved him inside.

"Hey baby. I was wondering where you were," she said just as Chad closed the door behind him, his eyes shooting daggers in the direction of his possible competition.

Taylor immediately left Julian's side and rushed up to Chad giving him a kiss.

"Sorry I'm late Tay. My talk with coach took longer than expected. You ready to go to lunch?"

"Yep. I'm starving," Taylor answered with a smile and eyes only for him. "But first I want to introduce you to Mr. Wilson's assistant and team advisor for the academic decathlon."

Taylor took Chad's hand and walked him over to where Julian stood with a rather cocky look on his face, very much aware of his rival's displeasure at seeing he and his girlfriend appearing so cozy.

"Chad Danforth this is Juian Blanchard," Taylor introduced, unaware of the testosterone flying around the room of which she was the cause.

The last thing Chad wanted to do was shake this guy's hand, especially since he couldn't keep his eyes off Taylor, but he reached out his own anyway, which Julian took mockingly.

"I've heard a lot about you Chad," Julian stated sizing him up for future reference.

"Is that so?" Chad replied rather cooly. "Funny, but Taylor hasn't mentioned you a whole lot. At least not to me."

"Really?" Julian countered smoothly. "That's too bad. It's probably because I'm only here a few days a week and just a part-time teaching assistant, moreso for my benefit than the class'."

"And why is that?" Chad questioned, his ego fueling his dislike of Julian even more.

"Well my being here is mostly about gaining credits to up my GPA for my own college coursework while I earn my degree. I'm just an extra hand around here to give Mr. Wilson some breathing room and provide minimal assistance where needed."

Taylor gasped in disbelief. "How can you say that Julian? You have been a major influence on our class this term and most defintely a huge help when it comes to preparing for the academic decathlon. Don't you dare sell yourself short like that."

"What a sweet thing to say Taylor," Julian beamed giving her a tiny wink that did not go unnoticed by Chad whose blood was on the verge of boiling. "You're one lucky guy Danforth to have someone like her in your corner."

Chad wanted to punch the jerk for openly flirting with his girl right in his face, completely aware of what he was doing and not giving a damn. Even worse was that Taylor appeared to really look up to him while oblivious to the fact that this Julian character had a thing for her. Chad wasn't feeling any of it at all.

He turned to his girlfriend eager to bolt and asked again, "So you ready to go to lunch?"

Looking between he and Julian, Taylor took his hand again and said yes.

"Great because I'm starving and everyone's waiting on us," Chad announced, letting Mr. GQ Smooth know his time with them both was up.

Julian got the message sent loud and clear. "Yeah Taylor you and Chad should really get something to eat before your next class starts. I'll be around later if you want to finish our talk."

"Thanks," Taylor said.

"It was nice to have finally met you Chad. Hope we can do it again," Julian offered in a sincere tone that was strictly meant for other ears. "Any friend of Taylor's is a friend of mine."

"Boyfriend," Chad corrected a little too quickly which caused Taylor to give him a strange look out of the corner of her eye.

Julian laughed at the senior's bravado. He definitely was one that wasn't going to go down lightly. "Yeah, I got that part."

"Glad you did," Chad added with every territorial bone in his body. "Later."

"Definitely," came Julian's response to being put on notice of where he stood as he watched Taylor follow Chad out the classroom door.

When they got out into the hallway and had walked a short distance Taylor stopped in her tracks and turned to her obviously displeased boyfriend to ask, "You want to tell me what that was all about back there?"

Chad tried to play his behavior off. "What are you talking about?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about Chad. You were practically snarling at Julian by the time we left. What gives?"

"Was I?" he continued to feign innocence although he knew she could see right through him.

"Okay, I can see you don't want to get into this right now and that's fine. Frankly, I'm in no mood to argue with you when we barely have half of the lunch period left so I'll drop the subject for the time being. But trust we will be talking about it later," Taylor promised both surprised and annoyed by his attitude.

"Fine," Chad said.

"Fine," Taylor shot back.

And they both resumed their walk in the direction of the cafeteria.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"I'm worried about Gabriella," Taylor was saying as she used her key to open the front door to her house. Walking inside, she reached over and turned on the hallway light then laid her evening bag on top of the foyer table.

"Granted Angelina is drop dead gorgeous and all, but I hope she doesn't seriously believe she has anything to worry about," Taylor rattled on as she took off her shoes before padding barefoot into the living room to flip on a lamp. "I mean really, you and I both know Troy's crazy about Brie. There's nobody else better for him. He's way too smart to let a woman like Angelina, a man-eater of the first order, mess with his head, which is all she ever did with any of the guys that fell for her when she was still in school with us. Right? Right?"

Taylor turned around and realized she was talking to herself.

"What the..." She stammered turning to retrace her steps back into the foyer where the front door was still standing wide open.

"Chad?' She called out wondering where he'd gone too. "Chad!"

Suddenly he appeared in the doorway causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

"Chad Danforth! What in the world are you doing out there? I thought you were right behind me," Taylor chastised.

"Sorry baby," Chad apologized looking contrite and very sexy standing there under the soft glow of the porch light. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Taylor walked toward him, smiling at how he could look so hot and mature in that suit, yet appear vulnerable and charmingly boyish all at the same time. The combination was driving her crazy. "What are you doing silly? I thought you were coming in for a while?"

"I want to Tay...I really do...but..." Chad hesitated shyly.

"But what?" Taylor asked walking up to the threshold and stopping as Chad came closer until he was leaning casually against the doorframe, their noses practically touching.

"I thought you told me your folks were out of town for the weekend?" he said gazing at her intensely.

Taylor smiled. "They are. And my brother and sister are sleeping over at a friend's house. So what's your point?"

"My point is that with your entire family gone that leaves nobody else here but us. Alone. Without parental supervision," Chad replied.

"And that's a problem for you because...?" Taylor teased, the scent of her perfume working his brain. She could feel he was dying to kiss her but was holding himself in check.

Finding it increasingly difficult to resist those big brown eyes, Chad sighed as he reached up and tucked some of Taylor's hair behind her ear in a smooth intimate gesture. When he spoke his voice came out low and husky. "Don't play with me Tay and please don't laugh at me either."

"I wouldn't dream of laughing at you baby. Now tell me what's wrong? Tell me why you won't come inside?" Taylor coaxed.

"It's because you look so incredibly beautiful tonight and everyone is gone and I love you so much that...I...well...I'm not sure I can trust myself to be alone with you right now."

Taylor's heart melted 10 different ways at the sound of the sweetest words she'd ever heard. Chad was gazing at her with such love in his eyes that all she could think to do was to move into his arms for a slow lingering kiss that seemed to go on forever.

"Wow!" Chad said when they pulled apart, his head spinning. "That was…was…"

"That was me saying I love you too, from now until," Taylor whispered. "Being with you makes me happier than you could possibly know. You are my best friend Chad Danforth. Nobody understands or gets me like you do. I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt me or destroy the trust between us. That's why I'm giving you all of 10 seconds to get your gorgeous self in this house before I really give my neighbors something to talk about."

"Are you sure it will be okay? I mean with you?"

"More than okay. Come on" Taylor said with a smile.

_20 minutes later…_

Once inside, Taylor had told Chad to make himself at home while she went up to her room to change. Taking off her beautiful dress, she washed her face free of make-up, put her hair up in a ponytail and slipped into a comfortable pair of shorts along with a t-shirt that read: "Basketball players do it with bounce".

Arriving back downstairs, Taylor walked into the living room and found Chad wearing his favorite pair of black sweats and a sleeveless white t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms. She figured he must have had the change of clothes in the trunk of his car, which he confirmed. Going over to the stereo, Taylor turned on some music and then headed toward the kitchen, while Chad turned on the TV to check the news for the day's sports scores.

"Hey, how about I make us some banana splits?" Taylor called out as she did a once over of the refrigerator's contents. "Looks like my mom bought all the fixings."

"Sounds good Tay," came Chad's response from the living room. "But I'm still kind of full from dinner so how about we share one between us?"

"Works for me," Taylor replied, reaching into the freezer to pull out the ice-cream.

She was cutting up a banana when Chad wandered into the kitchen. He came up behind Taylor and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a ticklish kiss upon her neck causing her to giggle. The sweetness of her perfume still clung to her skin.

"Gee Tay, I didn't know you were such a good cook," Chad teased feeling happy and mischievous. "Mom always said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach."

Taylor laughed. "Very funny mister. Are you here just to be in my way or did you come to help?"

"To help of course."

"Good. Then you can start by grabbing the chocolate sauce out of the cupboard and the whip cream out of the fridge," Taylor directed unable to wipe the sappy grin from her face as he moved away from her.

Chad gathered up the requested ingredients and then placed them down on the counter, giving his girlfriend a devilish smile. "Is there anything else I can do to please you Miss McKessie?"

Taylor paused for moment, putting thought into the question.

"As a matter of fact there is something you can do to please me," she responded, taking a spoon and drizzling chocolate sauce over the bananas and ice-cream in the dish before her.

"And what's that?" Chad challenged sounding sexy and oh so sure of himself.

"You can tell me why you were acting like a jealous jerk toward Julian earlier today?"

Chad groaned at hearing the last request he was expecting. "I was hoping you'd forgotten all about that by now."

Taylor smiled sweetly. "I know you did which is why now is a perfect time to bring it up and talk it out."

"What's there to talk about? The guy rubs me the wrong way," Chad stated going from sounding sexy to semi-sulky. "He seemed a little too familiar with you and I'll admit I didn't like it."

"So what you're saying is that you saw me talking and laughing with a friend who just happens to be a guy and you just assumed that he was hitting on me, therefore you thought it was okay to get in his face. Right?" Taylor asked as she shook up the can of whip cream, on the verge of finishing her masterpiece.

"Tay, he was hitting on you. Even a blind man could see that," Chad explained. "I know you think this guy is great and all but if you ask me he wants to be more than just friends with you."

"Maybe," Taylor conceded. "But what if I don't want to be more than that with him, especially since I'm head over heels in love with someone else?"

Chad smiled. "You're in love with someone else?"

"I are," Taylor played along.

"Do I know the guy?" Chad countered.

"You might. He's 6 foot tall, gorgeous, funny and has this wild curly light brown hair. He's also one of the stars on the East High basketball team, a great friend and a lot smarter than he usually gives himself credit for."

Chad was beaming from ear to ear. "Wow. Sounds like quite a guy."

"Well as a matter of fact he is and someone I think you know very very well," Taylor said giving him a wink

She sprinkled some chopped walnuts over the whip creamed confection before her, topped it off with a juicy cherry and then reached inside a drawer pulling out two long ice cream spoons.

"Voila! Our banana split is done!" Taylor announced handing her guy his spoon with a knowing smile.

"Look Tay I know I acted like a jerk earlier and I'm sorry, "Chad apologized. "You have every right to be friends with whomever you choose and if they are your friends I have to accept that just like I would expect you to accept mine. But I can't promise you that it doesn't or won't bother me now or in the future when I see some guy, any guy, making a play for you, especially when he knows you're with me. I'll try to keep the testosterone level to a minimum but I cannot not be true to who I am or how what happens to you affects me."

"Fair enough," Taylor relinquished agreeably.

"So does that mean all's forgiven?" Chad asked hopefully.

"All was forgiven the minute you knocked on my door this evening wearing that suit and looking like you just stepped off the pages of GQ magazine," Taylor laughed. "What can I say, I'm a sucker for a hot guy."

"As long as the hot guy is me I have no problem," Chad laughed.

"Agreed. Now can we eat this thing before it melts away," Taylor asked eyeing the banana split hungrily.

Laughing they both dove in for the kill enjoying every mouthful. When they were almost done Taylor looked up at him and asked, "So, what are we gonna do about Troy and Gabriella?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Dang Chad! Where are you?" Troy growled in frustration as he paced around his bedroom, cell phone to ear. He had dropped Gabriella off at home a little less than an hour ago and was still fuming over the huge argument they'd had while driving away from the restaurant.

Troy knew that he had acted like an insensitive ass, even going so far as to try and make Brie feel semi-guilty about the brief encounter with Angelina. In his heart he knew he should have listened to her point of view on why seeing him being so "personal" with another girl had made her uncomfortable. Instead, like an idiot, he'd grown macho and defensive and ended up calling her childish and insecure. By the time they pulled up outside the Montez house, Gabriella was fit to be tied, furiously slamming the car door in his face without so much as a good-night and storming into the house. The worst part was that Troy didn't even know what made him say such things to her given that she was probably one of the least childish or insecure people he knew, guy or girl. Now they weren't speaking and he was angry at himself, the situation, and the fact that he couldn't reach his best friend on the phone to rant about it.

As he sat at the foot of his bed feeling lost about what to do next, Troy's thoughts began to wander back in time to when he'd first met the only other girl that had ever affected him like Gabriella had at first sight…Angelina DeLeon...

_It was during sophomore year, shortly after Chad had gotten hooked on her younger sister Marissa, that Angelina became a major "look but don't touch" fascination for Troy. Of course she had already achieved teen icon status among her peers by the time he, Chad, Zeke, Taylor, and Sharpay had come to East High as freshmen, but it wasn't until the following year that he had fallen completely under her spell._

_It had happened one afternoon three weeks into the new school year, when he and Chad were talking to a group of Marissa and her friends. Angelina had rushed up in the middle of their conversation to relay a message to her sister regarding a family obligation after school, accidentally bumping Troy into the lockers in her haste. After passing the word along to Marissa, she'd turned in his direction, smiled and said "sorry I ran into you" before dashing off to meet up with her own friends just down the hall. From that point forward Troy had been hooked. Whenever he would see her on campus he would blush and try to look away but, after a while, Angelina took notice of his shy admiration and began paying him little doses of attention here and there. _

_Because Troy's father was the basketball coach, he was afforded a certain privilege by association standing when it came to the members of the varsity basketball team even though a lower classman. Dalton Avery was the captain at that time and Angelina's steady. He'd taken Troy under his wings as a fellow ballplayer and to earn "points" with Coach Bolton to some degree, so there were plenty of times with Angelina in tow that Troy had the chance to merely be in her presence. However, it wasn't until mid-October, when he actually got a chance to get closer to her due to a change in her class schedule. _

_Most East High seniors were allowed one "easy" class which more or less involved them acting as aides to the teacher in a particular class which earned them double credits toward graduation versus the regular elected class options. To Troy's delight and dismay it was his 3__rd__ period history class that Angelina had chosen as her "easy" and so once a day until the end of the school year, he could sit in the back of the class and moon over her as she went about helping the teacher with various projects and assisting students where needed. _

_Angelina always found a way to innocently flirt with Troy, especially since she could see the effect she had on him, but she never took it further than that, not that Troy would have known what to do if she had. He was content enough to just be around her when he could and take whatever pleasure he found from those times when she made an effort to show him any attention. When Chad had finally broken things off with Marissa right before the end of the school year, Troy had panicked thinking it would change Angelina's attitude toward him, but luckily it did not. In fact, she didn't seem to care one way or the other. _

_During the last day of classes, a few days shy of graduation and the jumpstart to summer vacation, Troy had found himself alone with Angelina after everyone else had headed out to lunch. She was packing up some things in a box when Troy had walked up to the desk and, to his surprise, thanked her for being around to help out. Smiling, Angelina said nothing as she came around to where he stood and, before Troy knew what was happening, gave him his first real grown-up kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds but to him it lasted a lifetime and beyond. He remembered Angelina smiling at him, knowing perfectly well what she'd done and not sorry for it one bit. Then she picked up her things and walked to the door. Just before leaving she turned to a stunned and speechless Troy and said, "You are going to seriously break some hearts one day Bolton. I only hope I'm around and have the pleasure of seeing it." And then she was gone. Two days later she walked across the stage graduating with honors and the following week she was off to Europe. _

Snapping out of his trip down memory lane Troy ran his hands through his hair and sighed. He'd all but forgotten about his "Angelina days" and in truth hadn't thought about her since her departure two years before…that is until tonight. He knew in his heart that he was in love with Gabriella and no one else. But Troy couldn't deny, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself or anyone else, that Angelina DeLeon still had a lingering hold over him and it had shown itself plan as day not only to his friends but to the last person in the world he would ever want to hurt.

Once again he wondered where Chad was because he was the only person who would truly understand what he was going through.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"So what you're saying is that you think Gabriella overreated tonight and that she has no reason whatsoever to be upset with Troy?"

Taylor and Chad were laying on the couch with Robin Thicke's CD playing softly in the background. Taylor was situated between Chad's muscular legs with her back resting against his chest, her head tucked just beneath his chin. Chad had his arms wrapped around her waist, one of his hands rubbing gentle lazy circles near her belly button. They'd started to have this conversation in the kitchen earlier but had gotten distracted, namely by each other.

After they'd devoured their jointly made banana split, which toward the end they were feeding to one another, Taylor had gone out into the backyard to see that her dog, Little Petey ate too. Chad had followed, snatching up her brother's basketball from the porch, proceeding to shoot hoops while she filled two bowls with food and water for the perky white Terrier. When she was done, he'd taunted her into a game of one-on-one and for the next half an hour they ran around laughing and screaming like too little kids having the time of their lives. Once Chad had beaten an uncaring Taylor they'd re-entered the house, gone back to the livingroom and made themselves comfortable on the huge overstuffed sofa. They began to talk about the fun they'd had that night until Angelina's name popped up and then the conversation shifted to specifics with Taylor apparently taking Troy's side in the matter while Chad saw things from Gabriella's perspective.

"No, I'm not saying Gabriella overreated at all," Taylor corrected to Chad's quiet waiting. "All I said was that maybe it wasn't as big a deal as she assumed it to be."

"Still sounds like your saying she overreated to me," Chad stated, empathizing with Brie completely since earlier that day he'd found himself in a similar situation when he had seen Taylor laughing it up with Julian.

As if reading his thoughts Taylor sighed. "Are you trying to make a comparison between what happened tonight to what you thought you saw with me and Julian in class today?"

"All I'm saying Tay is that I totally get where Gabriella is coming from. She didn't like seeing Troy go gaga over Angelina no matter how hard he tried to hide it, anymore than I appreciated Julian putting the moves on you."

"I already told you he was't putting any moves on me. We were just talking," Taylor said defensively.

"Well I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree," Chad conceded.

They grew silent for a moment each lost in their own thoughts and perceptions of both situations.

"Do you really think Troy still has a thing for Angelina?" Taylor finally asked, still not fully believing it but opening herself to the smallest possibility. "I mean it's just hard to think like that knowing how much he loves Brie."

"I'm not saying he doesn't love Gabriella. I know for a fact he'd do anything for her, but none of us can act like we didn't see a change in him either when Angelina was at our table," Chad stated matter of fact. "I mean come on Tay, you and I both know how bad Troy used to have it for that girl during sophomore year. The boy was literally terrified that she'd stop speaking to him after I broke up with her sister just because he and I were best friends."

Taylor laughed remembering. "Well baby if you recall you and I didn't exactly run in the same circles back then or have you forgotten you were working on full tilt jock status while I..."

"While you were trying to bury yourself in books and more loftier pursuits," Chad finished for her. "Thank God you came to your senses and realized that hanging with a baller is where it's at."

Taylor cracked up snuggling closer into his arms. "Are you ever gonna get over yourself Danforth?"

"I sure as hell hope not," Chad joked, loving the way she felt against him all soft and warm and inviting. He could lay there like this with her forever.

"Okay, back to the subject at hand...Troy and Gabriella. Irregardless of what you or I think, the bottom line is that this thing with Angelina is obviously causing some drama between them. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Chad stated nodding his head.

"So what are we gonna do to help them through this?" Taylor asked thoughtfully. "I mean there has to be something that will get them to talk this out because if I know Gabriella, at this very moment the last thing she wants to do is even look at Troy let alone speak to him."

"Yeah, she did seem pretty upset when we left the _Golden Garlic_ tonight," Chad mused. "I'm sure she no doubt gave Troy major hell on the way home."

"You know it. My girl is sweet and all but never doubt she's got a temper," Taylor chimed in. "She looked ready to strangle Troy by the time the check came."

"Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves here," Chad posed. "I mean we're assuming they had a big blow up after they left when maybe that's not the case at all. What if they talked things out and they are sitting up somewhere like us snuggling and having a great time?"

"Yeah right," Taylor said rolling her eyes to herself. "Dream on Danforth. Dream on. Trust that Gabriella is at home right now trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and if they don't come out right, Troy's gonna be in the dog house for a while."

"And no doubt my boy is pacing the floor, probably kicking himself for good measure, trying to figure out how to explain to his girl why he went practically incoherent at the sight of the goddess," Chad threw in.

"The goddess?" Taylor exclaimed with surprise. "Who in the world came up with that name?"

Chad laughed. "Actually it's what Zeke and I dubbed Angelina after Troy fell for her. I'm telling you Tay the boy was sick with it for that one and everytime she came around would just turn to mush. I was really worried about him for a while."

"Well, well, it seems the DeLeon sisters have the magic touch don't they?" Taylor said a little saracastically.

"Oh no you don't," Chad warned playfully. "Don't even compare my thing with Marissa to Troy's thing with Angelina. Totally different situations."

"Really? How?" Taylor pressed.

"Well for starters, Marissa may have been pretty and popular but had no real skills. Still doesn't. Angelina on the other hand is a total pro when it comes to taking control of a guy's head and eventually his heart. That one knows how to work her game with moves none of us can even imagine. A true man-eater if ever there was one. Marissa can't even begin to compete. I liked her sure, but she never had me under a spell the way Angelina did Troy."

"And how do we know the spell is truly broken given what we saw tonight?' Taylor asked.

"Hmmm...is somebody changing their story all of a sudden?" Chad teased. "Sounds like you may be having second thoughts about how innocent that little reunion really was."

"No, but the more we keep talking about back in the day the more I'm starting to remember bits and pieces of memory about how crazy Troy really was about Angelina. Clearly seeing her again tonight had an effect on him. Everyone could see it."

"Exactly. Which is why Gabriella got upset and I still believe rightfully so. You, me, Sharpay and Zeke all saw the Troy from sophomore year tonight whereas all Gabriella saw was someone she thought she knew and then for a brief moment didn't."

"Point taken," Taylor sighed. "I bet he's never even told Brie about Angelina."

"Why would he tell her something like that? In his mind it was apart of the past never to be revisited since he'd never had a relationship with Angelina and she certainly was never interested in him unless it was to get a free ego boost by watching him drool over her. Add to that the fact that she's been out of the country for the last two years and there's really no reason for him to say a word to Gabriella. Not one."

"Well he better have some words now," Taylor stated. "Because whatever he did or does still possibly feel for Angelina, it's no longer a secret. The cat is out of the bag as far as Brie is concerned and she had a front row seat to see it all for herself."

"Hey, why don't we invite them on a picnic tomorrow? Maybe go paddle boating around the lake if the weather's nice?" Chad suggested. "Maybe a relaxed setting might help break the ice and they can talk."

"Oh you mean much like the way they set us up at the lake?" Taylor laughed. "I think they'd see that plan coming a mile away."

"They might but it's worth a try right? Especially, if it eases some of the tension. It worked for us didn't it?"

"Yes baby it did," Taylor smiled turning over in his arms so that she was now facing him. "I'll call Brie first thing in the morning and you can call Troy."

"Great. We've got a plan," Chad smiled down at her, his hands now moving up and down Taylor's back.

Just then he looked over at the wall clock above the fireplace and saw that it was close to midnight. "Damn," he said.

"What?" Taylor asked a little worried by his change in tone. "Is something wrong?"

Chad kissed the top of her head and began caressing her upturned face.

"No, except it's getting close to curfew. I promised my folks I'd be home by 12:30 a.m.," Chad groaned not wanting the night to end.

"Oh that," Taylor giggled.

"Yeah that."

"Well no worries. It's only a 5 minute ride to your house from here so you still have a few minutes to spare. I'm sure we can think of something to do in that little bit of time," Taylor teased mischeviously.

"Oh really?" Chad teased back. "And what did you have in mind McKessie?"

"Well Danforth for starters this."

And in one swift feline like movement Taylor slid up Chad's body until she was staring him directly in the eye. He gave her a knowing grin and then moved in to take possession of her waitng lips that melted into his with ease. Before they knew it, they were kissing hot and heavy and all thoughts of time slipped away.

_The Montez House, 1:00 a.m._

Gabriella tried to sleep but it was no use. Every time she closed her eyes she kept seeing Troy and Angelina in each other's arms and her brain revved up for another round of what if...What if this Angelina was more than just a friend? What if she had feelings for Troy? What if he had feelings for her? What if he didn't really love Gabriella as much as he claimed he did? What if this was the beginning of the end for them?

Finally Gabriella threw back the covers in defeat. Getting out of bed, she grabbed a notepad from her desk and went out onto the deck adjoined to her room. It was a beautiful night and she sighed at all the stars twinkling above her. Needing to find a way to release some of her tension and restlessness, she sat down on the floor of the deck and began to write her feelings out in song. Maybe through verse she'd figure out why she felt so scared at the one thing she hadn't forseen as even a remote possibility of happening...losing Troy and his love to someone else.

_The McKessie House, 8:00 a.m._

The harsh glare of sunlight through the living room blinds caused Taylor to slowly stir. Yawning, she rubbed sleepily at her eyes wondering what time it was. Her thoughts were instantly replaced by a scream, as she was startled semi-awake by the sight of someone standing over her. Attempting to focus her still tired eyes, Taylor was suddenly relieved to see that it was her mother, Glenda, standing there before her. She was about to greet her with a good morning, when she realized her mother didn't look happy. In fact, she looked very upset with a glare of disapproval in her eyes. Then she spoke and Taylor knew something was wrong.

"Taylor Ann McKessie just what in the hell is going on here?" her mother asked in a tight voice on the verge of exploding.

"What mom? What's wrong?" Taylor stammered and then she stopped from going any further because in that moment she had the answer to her question.

There beside her on the couch lay a shirtless Chad, looking nervously up at her mother before glancing at her for a rescue she knew she couldn't offer. The lump in Taylor's throat had turned her as speechless as Chad under the hovering gaze above them.

"I'll give you two exactly 5 minutes to start explaining yourselves before your father walks through the door and forbides you from seeing this boy again and decides to ground you for life."

Chad scrambled for his shirt, Taylor wracked her brain for answers, and Glenda McKessie stood there arms crossed with a tapping toe.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When Robert McKessie entered his house 10 minutes later, shortly after his wife had sent Chad and Taylor scrambling for clothes and answers, he knew something was wrong. The two teens sat on the livingroom couch as if they were about to face a firing squad. Before he had a chance to wonder about or even question Chad's presence in his home so early in the morning, Glenda McKessie marched into the room, took his hand and dragged him into the kitchen where she'd gone to put on a pot of coffee.

By this time Chad had retrived his shirt and had put his shoes back on. A beyond embarassed Taylor had gone upstairs prior to her father's arrival to take off her "Basketball Players Do It With Bounce" t-shirt, opting for a plain white one instead. Neither one dared to speak above a whisper, but it didn't stop them from listening in on Taylor's parent's conversation in the next room. It was obvious from the tone of Mrs. McKessie's voice that she was livid. Mr. McKessie could barely get a word in edge wise.

"Glenda...honey...Glenda...sweetheart...don't you think you're jumping the gun here a little bit?" Taylor finally heard her father ask in between one of the rare breaths her mother had taken since she began relaying her version of events to him. "Chad is a good kid and so is Taylor. What makes you think they've done something wrong?"

"They aren't kids Robert or hadn't you noticed how close both are to full blown adulthood in more ways than one?" Glenda McKessie pointed out.

"True. But that still doesn't mean that they did anything to cause all this ruckus over," Taylor's father reasoned. "Have you even given them a chance to explain themselves yet? Or did you just bulldoze over what they had to say and deem them guilty until proven innocent?"

"Ruckus?" his wife said indignantly. "You haven't seen ruckus yet Robert but you will. And yes I did ask for an explanation but the one I got is entirely too silly to believe. Trust that you wouldn't be standing here quick to defend their behavior if you'd walked in and saw what I did...Chad's shirt off...Taylor half-dressed."

"Tay was half-dressed?" Her father asked in surprised. "I find that hard to believe. This is our straight A has never given us a day of teenage grief Taylor you're talking about here. And the same for Chad. We know the boy's parents and the type of upbringing he's had. I can't even begin to picture him doing anything that would compromise Taylor or her reputation."

"Okay so maybe she wasn't half-dressed," Glenda conceded. "But you should have seen that suggestive t-shirt she had on when I caught them together. And don't get me started on how it felt to see little Chad Danforth shirtless and rippling chest muscles all over our couch. All over our daughter."

"Oh. Okay. Now I get it. Then what this really is about is a t-shirt or the lack thereof?" Mr. McKessie teased unable to resist baiting his wife, hoping to calm her anger with a touch of humor.

"Robert! Don't get cute with me. I'm not in the mood. If all you can do is make jokes at a time like this then I'll just have to handle the situation by myself," Mrs. McKessie informed with annoyance.

Listening to the back and forth between her parents, Taylor wished she could curl up and die. Never had she been so humiliated in all her life. Granted, the way things looked could give anyone the wrong impression, but Taylor truly thought her parents, especially her mother, knew her better than that. She was hurt to think that she may have lost that trust and belief they'd always had in her because of one dumb mistake. And what made it even worse was that after she and Chad had explained what had happened (that they'd fallen asleep watching TV) it only seemed to make them appear even guiltier in Glenda McKessie's eyes.

Sensing Taylor's anguish, Chad reached for her hand lovingly and gave her a hopeful smile.

"It'll be okay baby," he whispered although the look in his eyes told a different story. "You and I both know we haven't done anything wrong. We told your mother the truth. The same truth we'll tell your father if he asks to hear it too."

"I know," Taylor whispered back in a solemn voice. "But the fact that mom isn't trying to listen to reason right now makes me think that she believes we lied and that bothers me like you can't believe."

"Just try not to worry okay?" Chad advised, more concerned about her at the moment than he was himself.

Suddenly his cell phone went off after he'd finally turned it back on from the night before. Chad checked the caller ID and cringed.

"Your folks?" Taylor asked, already knowing the answer.

Chad nodded as he tried to swallow the lump forming in his throat. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse.

"Hey mom," he answered his phone cautiously, preparing himself for what he knew was coming.

"Don't you hey mom me Chad Michael Danforth!" Lisa Danforth shouted over the line. "Just where in the hell are you young man?"

"I'm at Taylor's," Chad answered giving his girlfriend a weary glance.

"At Taylor's? Well you better have yourself in this house in 15 minutes "Mr. I Think I'm Grown" because your father and I have some words for you," Lisa ranted. "This type of behavior is totally unacceptable. You may think you are an adult but I'm here to remind your only 17-year-old behind that you are not. Get home now!"

"Yeah, mom. I'll be there," Chad said, his humiliation now matching that of Taylor's.

"I mean it! Fifteen minutes!" Lisa Danforth warned before hanging up too furious for words.

Chad closed the phone, shook his head and sighed.

"I guess it would be stupid of me to ask if your mom was as mad as mine?" Taylor surmised wanting to take him in her arms and give him the hug she herself so desparately needed.

Chad gave her a tense smile and hoped that the forthcoming inquisition by Mr. and Mrs. McKessie didn't take too long since he was skating on thin ice as it was with his own parents. Just then Robert McKessie entered the livingroom. His wife was nowhere in sight.

"Where's...where's mom?" Taylor asked hesitantly. She couldn't believe her mother would miss the chance to play up her judge and jury role now that it seemed her father had arrived with the verdict.

Mr. McKessie cleared his throat as he walked across the room and sat down in his favorite armchair.

"Mom went upstairs to call about your brother and sister and to relay what time we are coming to pick them up," he answered. "She decided to let me handle things from here since she's obviously a little too upset right now to be objective."

Taylor nodded in understanding. Chad looked between father and daughter feeling as if all that was happening was his fault and no one elses. To his own surprise, he suddenly leaped up from the sofa with an impassioned plea.

"Mr. McKessie. Sir. I know things probably don't look very good right now from your perspective or that of Mrs. McKessie's, but I give you my word that Taylor and I did nothing wrong. I would never do anything to hurt her. Never. I know we made a foolish error in judgement, but I want you to know I love Taylor with all my heart. The last thing I would ever dream of doing is involve her in anything that stopped either you or your wife from trusting in her or me."

Taylor's heart swelled with love at the way Chad was attempting to defend her honor and basically take all the blame onto himself. When she looked in her father's direction she could see that he too was impressed by the declaration.

"He's right daddy. We did nothing wrong. This is all a huge misunderstanding," Taylor said, as Chad sat back down beside her.

Robert McKessie stared at both thoughtfully. "I hear what you're trying to tell me, I do, but that doesn't change the fact that this situation has caused some feelings of distress on both sides. While I agree that your mother tends to get overly emotional sometimes, it doesn't negate that you both broke the rules enforced in this house. In fact, I'm sure these same rules are in effect at Chad's as well. Am I right?"

Chad nodded in agreement.

"Taylor," her father continued, "You know that we do not allow people in the house while we are gone without our permission or knowledge. You also know that when we are aware of other's presence here in our absence, which is this case we did not, that there is still a curfew to be adhered to, no exceptions."

"Yes daddy," Taylor said quietly. "Those are the rules."

"Exactly. The rules. We have them in place just like I'm sure the Danforth's do as well for a very good reason. Irregardless that you are both close to turning 18, until that time you are still minors and our responsibility. Now I will admit that your mother's belief in what she thinks she saw or thinks happened while we were gone may be a bit on the overreactive side. It's obvious that you and Chad care deeply for one another not just by your actions while sitting here, but by the long history you share as friends and schoolmates all these years that have brought you to this point. Emotions can get pretty intense by the time kids get to where you two are at now and I speak from experience. I'm sure whatever happened was innocent enough in your minds but the consequences paint a different picture that can't be ignored. That's why I've decided with Glenda's approval, that you two should take a little break from one another just until things cool down a bit."

"Cool down?" Taylor asked quizzically. "What do you mean by cool down?"

"What I mean baby girl is that you and Chad are going to take a little break from dating for a while to give yourselves time to get your minds back on other important things like books, basketball and

getting into good colleges. We think it's best if you were a little less distracted by your romance to regain your focus. The both of you."

Chad and Taylor looked at each other like they couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"And just how long is a while daddy?"

Robert McKessie sighed. He hated playing the bad guy but his daughter's future was at stake and he couldn't let puppy love stand in the way of her reaching all her hard earned goals.

"For now two weeks. Just long enough for things to simmer down and give everyone a little space."

"Two weeks!" Chad and Taylor exclaimed together.

Mr. McKessie nodded. "Yes, two weeks. If after that time you two have proven that you are mature enough to handle this decision and keep your priorities straight then we can re-evaluate how much time is acceptable for you to spend together socially for the rest of the school term."

"I can't believe this is happening," Taylor said in disbelief as Chad sat beside her in silence. "What about our plans for senior weekend? Are you saying that we can't see each other then?"

"No Tay of course not. But I won't lie by telling you that those plans may have to be re-thought if you and Chad can't or won't do what we ask. There's nothing I'd like more than to see you two go off with your friends and have a good time. It's something you've both looked forward too and should get to participate in. But first you have to prove that you can be trusted and again, that your heads are focused where they should be. If you can do that then I see no reason why your senior weekend still can't remain an option."

"So what you're saying is that if Chad and I ignore each other for the next few weeks and keep our heads buried in books, that we might be given a reprieve and still allowed to go away together with Sharpay, Troy, Gabriella and the rest of our class?" Taylor questioned not liking the sound of her parents decision, especially if it meant being uanble to see Chad.

"Yes Tay, that's the deal. Take it or leave it," her father replied firmly.

She was about to say something she knew might make things worse than they already were, but Chad jumped in just in time.

"We'll take it Mr. McKessie," he said, not liking what was being asked of he and Taylor but realizing it was the only way to get past things so they could be together again like before.

"Glad to hear that Chad. Taylor? Do you accept the terms as well?"

Taylor was quiet for a moment but then said, "Yes, daddy. I accept."

"Good baby. I'm happy to hear that," Robert McKessie stated relieved. "Now mind you, it would be unreasonable to assume that you two won't talk and see each other while at school. But the dating and hanging out after class and on the weekends is going to stop. Like I said, after the two weeks if all goes well those privileges will likely be restored. So why don't you and Chad say your good-byes since I'm pretty sure his parents are anxious for him to get home, and I'll go upstairs and tell your mother we are all in agreement. Okay?"

"Okay," Taylor said barely above a whisper.

"And Chad?"

"Yes sir?" Chad sat up on the sofa at attention.

"I hope to see you around here again real soon. Please tell your parents that if they want to talk about any of this feel free to give Glenda or myself a call," Mr. McKessie offered standing up and holding out his hand for Chad to shake which he did although he was conscious of having sweaty palms.

Mr. McKessie then left to go upstairs leaving the two teenagers alone to mull over all that had just transpired. When Chad looked over at Taylor again he saw she was on the verge of crying.

"Tay don't," he soothed taking her into his arms. "It's not the end of the world."

"Maybe not but it sure as hell feels like it. How can they ask us to not see each other for two whole weeks other than in school?"

"Baby they aren't asking," Chad pointed out. "If we don't go along with this and do what they say we may have worse problems down the line."

Taylor sniffled against his broad shoulder. "So are you saying you agree with this?"

Chad stepped back so they were face to face, looking at her as if she'd just said the craziest thing he'd ever heard.

"Come on. You know me better than that," he gently chastized. "I want to be with you as much as you want to be with me. I also want us to be able to attend senior weekend together as well. If this is the only way to do that then so be it. You with me?"

"I'm with you," Taylor said in an apologetic tone for doubting him.

"Good. Now walk me to the door with one of those gorgeous smiles of yours and a kiss good-bye so I can go home and let my own folks rip me a new one," Chad joked pulling her into a tight hug.

Taylor forced herself to laugh for his sake, but on the inside she was crying.

"I guess this means our plans to help Troy and Gabriella are a no go. For now anyway," Chad stated as he and Taylor reached her front door arm-in-arm.

"Guess so considering at the moment we can't even seem to help ourselves."

"No worries. Everything is gonna work out. You'll see," Chad promised taking her into his arms again.

"It better."

"It will."

Then Chad kissed Taylor first on her forehead, then her nose and finally her lips. They stood their telling each other what was in their hearts by the look in their eyes, then Chad pulled away and ran down the stairs, jumping in his car and speeding away. Taylor closed the door feeling as if someone had just socked her in the gut. As she went upstairs, a lone tear cascaded down her cheek.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_Saturday Evening, 6:00 p.m._

Chad, hands behind head, was laying on his bed staring up at the ceiling when out of the blue Troy burst into his room unannounced ready to give him a hard time.

"What the hell gives Danforth!" Troy angrily asked shutting the bedroom door behind him. "I've been trying to reach your ass since late Friday and got nothing. No phone calls, no return of my messages. Nada. What's up with that?"

"Sorry man," Chad offered sitting up to face his best friend's wrath. "I've been dealing with some major drama since we last saw each other and I just needed time to myself. I was gonna call you as soon as I got my head together."

"Oh, I didn't know," Troy said with surprise. He noticed that Chad didn't seem like himself.

"More drama than I've been going through in the last 20 hours or so trying to get Gabriella to talk to or see me?"

"Way more. You can't even imagine. Believe me. Your problems with Brie are tame by comparison," Chad explained running a frustrated hand through his mass of curls.

"Taylor?" Troy asked taking a seat in one of two chairs in the corner of Chad's room, ready to give the story being told his full attention.

"Try Taylor's folks," Chad replied.

"Taylor's folks? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Mrs. McKessie catching Tay and I asleep on the couch in their living room this morning. I'm talking about Mr. McKessie laying down the law and having Taylor and I agree to not date each other for two weeks. I'm talking about my mom going ballistic and giving me a lecture like I haven't had since I was a kid. I'm talking about my dad taking away my car keys for a week. I'm talking about my mom still being upset about my ditching Marissa's debutante ball so now I've got yard duty for 3 weeks. Oh and the best part of all? I'm talking about her going for the jugular by declaring that because I was so irresponsible by staying out all night that I can't go off for senior weekend."

Troy stared at his best friend in stunned silence, his jaw wanting to hit the ground. He let out a low whistle and started shaking his head.

"Damn Chad! What the hell did you do to bring down the pain man?"

"I told you. I stayed out all night at Taylor's without calling. I guess I'm lucky that my folks didn't notice I hadn't been home until the morning. Otherwise they probably would have sent out a search party and today you would have found me chained to the basement wall with some bread and water instead of here in my room."

"So you really spent the night with Taylor?" Troy asked sounding a bit intrigued. "All night?"

"Yep. All night," Chad stated. "It wasn't what either of us planned. It just happened."

An amused smile formed upon Troy's lips. "And just what did happen Danforth? Got any details you'd like to share with your best friend?"

Chad reached over on the bed, grabbed a pillow and threw it across the room hitting Troy in the face.

"What!?" Troy laughed.

"Come on man. This is Taylor we're talking about here. She's the kind of girl that doesn't come equipped with details," Chad huffed.

"That's right this is Taylor we're talking about. The girl who is as head over heels in love with you as you are with her. The girl you at first didn't know was the one of your dreams who, up until last year, tried to hide herself behind books and learning until you got a damn clue and grew smart enough to finally go after her. Don't try to act like Taylor's feelings are chaste here. She obviously has it bad and clearly would have no problem equipping herself with "details" just for you," Troy stated factually.

Chad gave him an odd look. "What are you saying? Are you telling me you think Taylor is easy?"

"Huh? What? Aww...hell no man! What kind of talk is that?" Troy shot back offensively. "You are really tweaking if that's what you thought I meant."

"Well it did have an implying ring to it," Chad replied still a little defensive.

"Chill Danforth. Just chill. What I meant was that you and Taylor are in love. You both want to be together. There's nothing wrong if the two of you...well...you know...decide to experience some new territory in your relationship," Troy explained with a smile. "I mean come on. I feel the same way about Brie and I've certainly thought about getting closer to her. I figure it's the same for you and Tay. Am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Chad admitted with a sigh. "That's what got me into the mess I'm in now. Wanting to be with Taylor no matter what. It's just that she looked so gorgeous last night. The best I've ever seen her. When I brought her home things just sort of took on a life of their own. Everything was kind of surreal yet it was great. Taylor and I had were having so much fun together. Neither one of us wanted it to end."

"Well the way all the girls looked so amazing last night, I can't say Zeke, I or any other guy wouldn't have felt the way you did. I sure as hell know my plans for last night didn't include being told I was an insensitive jerk and having a car door slammed in my face so hard I thought for sure the window was gonna break," Troy joked remembering the horror show way his own evening had ended.

Chad couldn't keep himself from laughing. "Sounds like you really have your hands full with Gabriella?"

"And then some," Troy began laughing as well. "But that's a whole other story and right now I want you to finish yours. Did anything happen between you and Taylor?"

Chad shook his head and sighed. "That's just it. Nothing did. We shared a banana split, fed the dog, played some hoop in the backyard and then we hung out in the living room and the next thing we knew it was morning."

"So what you're saying is that you and Tay were just chilling listening to music or watching TV, talking and joking around, and then you just...what? Fell asleep and didn't realize it until you had Taylor's mom standing over you ready to press charges?"

"Yep. Pretty much."

"Okay Chad what am I missing here because something sounds off to me," Troy stated knowingly. "Call me crazy but I find it hard to believe Taylor's folks freaked so bad over you accidentally falling asleep at their house to the point that they would forbid you and Tay to see each other for two weeks. There's something you're not telling me."

"When her mom came in and caught us I wasn't wearing a shirt just my black sweats," Chad confessed.

"Oh really? An interesting little tidbit omitted," Troy teased, the devilish grin re-emerging on his face. "And why was your shirt off buddy? I don't recall there being a heat wave last night although I'll admit it was a little warmer than usual for this time of year."

Chad gave his friend a smart ass look. "My shirt was off because...well...because...Taylor and I got a little overheated there for a second."

Troy was amused to no end, enjoying watching Chad squirm as he came clean with the missing parts of the puzzle.

"Sounds to me like I'm hearing...oh...wait a minute...could it be? Details."

"Very funny," Chad snapped. "I admit that we did get carried away for a second but we stopped ourselves in time. Nothing happened. After that we went back to talking and cuddling on the couch, looking at some old movie that was on, and gradually fell asleep in each other's arms."

"Awww, that's really sweet," Troy teased although he couldn't deny his friend's evening with the girl he loved had been far more enviable than his own.

Chad ignored Troy's taunting as he spoke, "Yeah well I'm glad you think its sweet but for me it's all gone sour. Now Taylor's folks aren't sure if they can trust us alone together anymore and because of it we have to prove ourselves but in the process give up seeing one another."

"Well try not to let it get you down too much," Troy said switching gears from humor to seriousness. "Just go with the flow and you and Taylor will be back together all the way in no time."

"But what about the fact that I can't go to senior weekend? Have you forgotten about the special plans you, Zeke and I made for the girls? The gifts? The bracelet thing?" Chad reminded. "Now everything is shot to hell."

Troy did the low whistle thing again. "Man I almost forgot about that. Aren't we suppose to be picking them up next week?"

"Yep. And it looks like you and Zeke will be the only ones giving your girls their gifts underneath the moonlight, while I sit and hope that I won't have to present my girl with hers while standing at a locker or across a table in the cafeteria," Chad groaned thinking of how things had gone all wrong.

"The funny part is that one of the things Tay and I were talking about right before we fell asleep were plans for a picnic we were going to invite you and Brie on today in the hopes of helping you guys iron out your differences."

Troy laughed. "So what you're telling me is that part of the reason you and Taylor got nailed was because you were plotting on how to fix the bump in the road of your best friends' romance? Now that's some irony for you."

"Isn't it though," Chad laughed even though his mood had only improved slightly.

"Well I'll tell you what," Troy chuckled standing up from the chair and heading toward the door. "Why don't we go downstairs, shoot some hoops, maybe go for a burger afterwards, and I'll fill you in on my own drama with Brie so yours and Tay's good intentions won't have been in vain."

Chad jumped off the bed with the first genuine smile he'd had all day, grabbed a hooded sweatshirt, and followed his friend's lead.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Early Sunday Morning, 7:00 a.m._

As the first rays of sunlight began to quietly steal into the half-darkened bedroom, Taylor McKessie slowly emerged from a night of restless sleep. Her mind was still groggy with dreams, each one reluctant to fade, each one a treasured moment with Chad. Thinking of him now when she was in that blissful state that comes just before truly waking, Taylor sighed with a heavy heart wanting to hold on to the thoughts of the one she loved even if only for a few moments longer.

As she lay in bed savoring the last dreamy images of Chad's dazzling smile, his tender eyes, and his goofy laugh, Taylor suddenly sensed an odd presence surround her. What made it even stranger was the fact that it felt like two people were hovering over her bed, speaking in not so hushed tones...

_"Well she doesn't look sick to me," came a familiar voice twanging with sarcasm. "And she certainly isn't dead since she was practically snoring like a lumber jack when we came in." _

_"Shsssh. Would you be quiet. Do want to wake her up?" came a second voice in the room. _

_"Hello. Mary Sunshine. Would you please just land. It's a clear day. Just land," came that voice that Taylor knew but wasn't yet sure of completely. _

_"And just what is that supposed to mean?" questioned the other voice, in a defensively raised whisper. _

_"It means that you do not show up unnanouced at someone's house at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning, sneek into their room with the help of their kid sister, and then act like waking them up is the last thing you had on your mind. Hello. ET just come home already."_

_The annoyed whisper of the other became a stifled laugh in spite of itself. "I should never have called you up and asked you to come over _

_here we me this morning. You've been nothing short of impossible since I got in the car." _

_"That's right. This is the level of charm you get when I've been deprived of my vanilla soy milk latte with cinnamon and am instead offered up packaged coca in a Flintstones mug," was the snarky reply. _

_"Oh God. Would you please get over it. You act as though drinking out of something that doesn't have 14k gold stamped on the bottom of it has ruined your life."_

_"No. But if word were to get around that I was caught drinking out of something sporting a purple dinosaur with the tacky "come of in the dishwasher" name of Dino on it, that could change your getting a clue real quick. Oh look...she's starting to wake." _

Unable to take the squabbling buzz filling her ears any longer, Taylor pulled herself through the last of her sleep, first opening one eye then the other, followed by a gasp of total disbelief.

"Gabriella! Sharpay! What in the world are you two doing in my room? And at this time of the morning no less?"

"Hi Tay," Gabriella waved with a nervous smile. "Surprise."

"Yeah. And then some," Taylor grumbled throwing back the covers and running a lazy hand through her hair. "Do either of you have any idea how early it is? Why aren't you at home in your own beds instead of stalking me in mine?"

"Good question girlfriend. But as you may have already guessed, moi is merely the sidekick this time around. In order to know the true method of this particular madness you'll have to turn to Ms. Montez over there for the real answers," Sharpay suggestively pointed a finger in Gabriella's direction as she sat down on the foot of the bed. "Oh and by the way...good morning."

"Good morning. So what's this all about?" Taylor asked, getting out of bed and slipping into a light weight robe. "Are we having a little boyfriend meltdown or something? Is that why you both are camped out in my room at this ungodly hour? In need of a Dr. Phil session perhaps?"

"No," Gabriella said, turning from where she had gone to stand at the window overlooking the McKessie's backyard. "We're here because we were worried about you."

"About me? Why are you worried about me?" Taylor asked in suprised.

Sharpay threw up a finger before Gabriella could answer to signal she had this one covered.

"Look missy, I don't know what planet you might be vacationing on at the moment, but here on planet earth best friends do not, I repeat, do not go more than 24 hours without checking cellphones for messages. They certainly do not let such precious time slip away without at least one callback. Just one. Is that too much to ask? Have you already forgotten it is our sacred duty to prevent at all costs any obstacle that potentially stands in the way of the teenage gossip chain? Not picking up calls or leaving them is the violation that could bring us all down in the end."

Gabriella and Taylor stood there for a moment staring at Sharpay like her head had just spun around. When they turned to look at each other they were wearing the similar expression of "are you kidding me" upon their faces.

Gabriella leaned in toward her friend. "Blame it on a serious lack of vanilla soy milk latte with cinnamon this morning."

Taylor gasped in mock horror. "Get out! You mean to tell me you brought this girl to my house before she's even had her morning latte? What were you thinking Brie? Are you trying to put both our lives in jeopardy?"

"Very funny, very funny," Sharpay stated unamused as she watched her friends dissolve into laughter at her expense. "But Gabriella can't say she wasn't warned. I told her that powdered hot chocolate in a Scooby-Doo mug isn't the way I start my mornings and therefore I couldn't be held responsible for my actions."

"It was a Dino mug drama queen," reminded Gabriella as she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Geez. Would you just get over it already?"

"Fine," Sharpay agreed with a pout. "We can drop the whole thing and get back to the reason we are here in the first place."

"Which is?" Taylor probed. "Oh...that's right...you said you were worried about me because I didn't call either of you yesterday."

"Yep," Gabriella said. "That's pretty much it. You have never not returned my calls Tay so I knew something had to be up. And since you were taking too long to fill me in I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"Just be lucky little Miss Covert Ops here didn't have us scaling the wall outside just to make sure you hadn't been kidnapped or something," Sharpay threw in as she walked over to Taylor's dressing table and began smelling her perfum and arranging her hair and make- up.

"Well thank goodness for small favors," Taylor joked. "But seriously guys, I don't see what you're so worried about. I'm fine really."

"If you were fine you would have returned at least one of my calls Tay," Gabriella reasoned. "This just isn't like you. I know somethings up so spill."

Taylor looked between her two friends wishing she knew where to begin. She herself was still struggling with the decision her parents had made the day before. No matter how they tried to dowplay two weeks as being a drop in the bucket and that the time would fly by, Taylor couldn't resolve it in her heart to where it felt like anything but an eternity.

"Come on Tay, just tell us what is going on," Sharpay urged with genuine concern. "If you can't share with us who can you share with?"

"She's right," Gabriella added going over to Taylor and taking her hand. "Remember? We're all in this together? Trust that those are not empty words. Not when it comes to us."

"It's Chad isn't it? What did he do?"

"It's not like that Shar," Taylor said with a sigh. "It has to do with this stupid punishment my parents have me on for the next two weeks. Chad's folks too if not longer."

"Punishment?" Gabriella mouthed totally thrown off guard. "Punishment for what?"

"Yeah. Punishment for what?" Sharpay's voice grew eager with anticipation, her eyes dancing as they always did when she was about to be served up good gossip like a 5 star meal.

"Well," Taylor began. "It all started after our dinner date on Friday night. Chad brought me home afterwards and ended up staying. My mom caught us together the very next morning and blew a blood vessel. She ended up talking my father into a no dating policy that prevents Chad and I from seeing each other outside of school for the next two weeks."

"Oh Tay I'm so sorry to hear that," Gabriella said giving her friend a tiny hug. "You must be feeling awful right now."

"Well, I have had better days that's for sure," Taylor conceded.

"Wait up. Hold up. Back it up," Sharpay commanded jumping up from the bed and scurrying over to Taylor's side. "Let's rewind a minute here shall we? I'd like an instant replay of that line about how Chad brought you home and just so happened to spend the night. The whole night."

"I'm curious about that myself Tay," Gabriella agreed.

"Honest you two it's not what you think. We were having so much fun together laughing, talking and hanging out that we didn't want the evening to end. We were on the living room couch watching some old movie on tv and the next thing we knew it was morning."

"And that's why your parents took away your dating privileges?" Sharpay questioned in a disbelieving voice. "You mean to tell me that's all she wrote?"

"Well it probably didn't help that my mom, when she found us asleep, couldn't help noticing that her baby was laying all over Mrs. Danforth's baby's warm naked chest like she belonged there and no place else."

"Get out!" Sharpay squeeled as she clapped her hands delightedly. "Now that's definitely a good reason for two weeks in lock down. I'm proud of you McKessie. Looks like my hopes for senior weekend might just turn out to be wilder than I expected. Don't you agree Gabriella?"

"Or not," Taylor cautioned. "If I so much as put a foot wrong during my probation period you can bet that will be taken from me too."

"Well we'll just have to make sure that you don't because you are not missing one of our last great parties of high school," a determined Gabriella stated.

"You've got that right. Sharpay Evans has not worked like a dedicated fool for the last six months just so you could get out of giving her the insane praise of glory she deserves for what is sure to be a legendary blow out befitting of our final year at East High."

Taylor and Gabriella looked at Sharpay and began cracking up again.

"I tell you Shar, sometimes I wonder just how crazy are you really?" Taylor laughed, feeling surprisingly better than when she had first woke up. Whether she realized it or not, this was just what she needed to help her get over the Chad Danforth blues. At least it was a start.

"Well if it's crazy you want try this on for size...I'll give you exactly 15 minutes to pull yourself together so we can get out of here and make a seriou latte run before you see what crazy really looks like. Does that work for your?"

"Okay, okay," Taylor said rushing off toward the bathroom, as Gabreiall looked on, still laughing, grateful and lucky that she had such great friends. "Fifteen minutes and I'm there."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"So Shar, where are we headed," Gabriella asked as they cruised along on the open road, drop top down, radio up. "Any place special?"

"Patience Montez. Patience. All good things come to those who wait," Sharpay replied, winking at her reflection in the rearview mirror. "We've got all day to play and I plan on taking advantage of every single minute. How about you?"

"Well you can count me in," Taylor offered from the back seat. "A root canal would be more fun right now than sitting at home with my parents looking at me and wondering if the only thing Chad and I did the other night was sleep."

"Tell me about it," Gabriella chimed in. "Sitting in my room another day moping over Troy while he blows up my cellphone twice an hour does not a good time make."

"Wait a second...are you telling me that you still haven't let that boy back into paradise? Oooh Brie. Shame on you," Taylor scolded, shaking her head.

"What? I'm still too upset to talk to Troy right now. You guys have no idea what a wicked fight we had the other night after dinner. By the time he dropped me off I was so furious that I nearly broke the window slamming the car door shut."

Both Sharpay and Taylor let out exagerated gasps.

"Get out!" Taylor exclaimed unable to believe the sweetest couple at East High could have had such an ugly blow out. "You're joking right? I've never even heard you and Troy raise your voices to one another."

"Well trust that they were raised and then some. I'm actually surprised we didn't wake the whole entire neighborhood we were shouting so," Gabriella revealed, as though she still couldn't believe it herself.

"And all of that because he gave some other girl a mere five minutes of his attention after fawning all over you through most of dinner?"

Gabriella shot a look in the direction of the driver's seat. Sharpay was her girl most of the time but it was moments like these that truly tested their friendship.

"So what you're saying is that you think I overreacted to my boyfriend, whom I love, drooling in the arms of an older beautiful woman right in front of me and all our friends?" Gabriella replied defensively.

Sharpay glanced over at her friend who was less than thrilled with her opinion, paused and then nodded.

"Yes, Brie I do. Troy is a man and all men are weak to some degree when it comes to women like Angelina DeLeon. His moment of fascination with her passed as quickly as it came and you were too initimdated to just go with the flow."

"Is that right? So go with the flow is how you think I should have handled things?" Gabriella asked through clenched teeth. "And would you have "gone with the flow" or called what happened a moment of fascination if it were say...Zeke...nearly forgetting his own name as he grinned like a boyish idiot in the arms of another woman?"

"But Zeke would never do that," Sharpay knowingly stated. "He already has his own version of Angelina right here with me. Why go looking for a substitute when you have the real thing?"

"I don't know Shar," Taylor spoke up. "I seem to recall that it wasn't just Troy who couldn't keep his eyes off that girl. Both Zeke and yes, even Chad, were definitely feeling her. You practically had to scoop their jaws up off the floor they were so mesmerized."

"Thank you Tay," Gabriella said shifting around in her seat to give her friend a hi-five. "I saw that too. None of us can deny that Angelina had some type of noticable effect on our men. The only difference being is that your guys looked but knew better than to touch. I can't say the same for mine."

"I just don't get why you are being so stubborn about this. It's obvious to me, Taylor and everyone else that Troy loves you and only you," explained a frustrated Sharpay. "He'd never choose someone like Angelina over you in a million years."

"Oh no?" Gabriella countered. "Care to put money on that?"

"Brie what gives?" Taylor asked curiously. "You don't honestly think that because of what happened the other night that Troy doesn't love you the same as ever? Do you?"

"I don't know what to think right now Tay," Gabriella sighed. "I hear what you're saying, I do, but something happened between him and that girl and I can't ignore it. Now maybe she is just someone he once had a crush on. Maybe not. All I know is that I've seen Troy platonic in his affection with other girls lots of times like you, Sharpay or Kelsi. Not once during any of those moments did I ever feel threatened or insecure about his feelings for me. Not once. Then along comes Angelina DeLeon in her slinky dress, copper hair, and perfectly glossed lips and suddenly warning bells go off in my head. It wasn't her beauty that scared me guys. It was the power behind that beauty and how she so seductively cast a spell over Troy before he even knew what was happening to him. The fact that he seemed to love every minute of it only added insult to injury."

"Well I certainly can't tell you how to feel about things," Taylor empathized. "Just know that if I had to bet everything I owned on Troy's heart belonging to you and no one else I'd take it."

"So would I," Sharpay agreed. "Say what you want about Troy Bolton, but there is not a doubt in my mind that he only has eyes for you."

"So what do I do with all my warning bells and whistles? Do I just forget they even exist?"

"Of course not," Taylor soothed. "But you and Troy love each other way too much to let this thing eat away at you or your relationship. If you allow too much unspoken time to pass instead of trying to work things out now, you take the risk of regretting it later on."

"Taylor's right Brie. What you need to do is confront Troy head on and let the chips fall where they may. No more hiding from your problems."

"Well...Maybe I did overreact a little," Gabriella confessed. "I'm not saying Troy's behavior wasn't above reproach, but I could have handled things differently and not just go off on him the way I did."

"Oh no," Sharpay corrected. "Going off on a guy once in a while is a good thing, a necessity. I look at it like a form of shock therapy. Boys need to be kept on their toes at all times and when they forget, going off is the only way to restore balance to the relationship."

"Poor, poor Zeke," Taylor mumbled under her breath, causing Gabriella to laugh.

"Well I definitely appreciate the concern although the advice might be a little shaky in places. So I promise that after our day together, I'll go home tonight and see if I can't figure out a way to get Troy and I back on track again."

"That's my girl," Taylor said throwing an arm across Gabriella in the passenger seat and giving her a squeeze.

Just then they both noticed that they were cruising by the Lava Springs Country Club with no sign of stopping, continuing on to what seemed like no where.

"Hey Shar where exactly are you taking us?" Taylor asked somewhat confused.

"Yeah Sharpay what gives?" Gabriella questioned. "Why didn't you stop at the club since that is the only logical reason for us being out this way, with nothing else around for miles?"

"Would you both try to have a little more patience please. We're almost to the surprise I told you about," came Sharpay's reply.

Taylor and Gabriella gave each other a puzzled look but did what was asked by sitting back for the moment without another word.

A few miles later, Sharpay gently steered her car off of the main highway and pulled up to a gated tree-lined road.

"Were here," she annouched pushing a button on the dashboard which opened up the gates to allow their entrance. Once through, the car continued down the long winding road for another quarter-mile or so. As they neared it's end, Taylor and Gabriella were suddenly struck by the sight of the most amazing house either one had ever seen. It was state of the art, two stories high, and solar paneled. There was a long stretch of flower laced terrace on the bottom floor, and a Japanese inspired fountain spouting on the front lawn. The windows of every room seemed to go on forever as if you could see everything no matter from which one you looked.

"Oh my God Sharpay! What is this place?" Taylor gushed completely awestruck. "It's absolutely beautiful."

"Thanks. It's a family secret jewel we call Little Lava House. Daddy had it built at the same time the club was being constructed. He wanted an extra special place we could all share as a family outside of the business. It's got a pool, jacuzzi and sauna. There are six master bedrooms and four bathrooms. We've got a billard room, an entertainment area that is like a mini movie theater, and a gym. There are two kitchens and a laundry room, along with a tennis/basketball court out in back."

"Well it all sounds awesome," Gabriella praised, totally impressed. "I can't wait to get out and see everything for myself."

"See. And you were worried. I told you two to trust me didn't I?" Sharpay scolded. "Now hopefully you'll believe what I said about us taking this day to have some big fun?"

"Yes Shar we believe, we believe," the girls sing-songed in happy unison.

Then something else besides the house caught Taylor's eye. "Hey, it looks like we aren't the only ones here. There's another car parked in front and there are people leaning against it talking."

"Oh my god those aren't people Taylor!" Gabriella exclaimed, instantly recognizing the three all too familiar faces coming closer into view. "That's Troy, Chad and Zeke!"

"What!?" Taylor shouted, leaning so far forward to get a better look that she was practically sitting in the front seat with her friends.

"Surprise!" Sharpay sang out bringing the car to it's final destination right in front of where their boyfriends were standing. "You like?"

The minute they'd come to a stop, Chad, Troy and Zeke had all bent down to look inside at the girls with smiling faces.

"Sharpay what is going on here?" Taylor demanded a bit panicky. "If my parents find out I've seen Chad after they told me I couldn't I'll be grounded up until the day after graduation."

"Exactly," Gabriella said, trying to avoid the scorching stare she could feel coming from Troy through the car window. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea at all."

"Would you two relax!" Sharpay commanded turning around in the dirver's seat to address her suddenly apprehensive friends. "I would not have brought you or them out here unless I had everything planned to the letter."

"Sharpay if my folks find out about this..."

"Stop worrying Tay. It's gonna be fine. I've taken care of everything. Chad's parents think he, Troy and Zeke went to watch an out of town football game. They aren't expected home for hours. As for you McKessie, I've seen to the perfect alibi. Last night I took the liberty of calling up your mom. I told her that after all the help you and Brie have put in with the senior projects that I wanted to surprise you both with an outting to the club's spa today. She thought it was a great idea and totally went for it."

"Wait a second. You played my mother Sharpay?" Taylor shook her head in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

"No sweetie. I'm just that good. Believe when I tell you that your last day to be with Chad like this will not be interrupted or found out. I give you my word."

"But how did you even know to put something like this together? I didn't tell you about the trouble Chad and I are in until just this morning. I know Brie couldn't have given you any details prior to that since she was still in the dark about it too."

"Zeke filled me in," Sharpay advised. "He was out with Troy and Chad on last night and of course all those two did was talk about you and Gabriella. When Zeke got home he called me up, told me what had happened. The rest I just left up to my imagination."

"So in truth, you tricked me this morning by pretending to go over to Taylor's to try and help her out when you already knew the deal and were actually plotting against us both the whole time?" Gabriella stated matter of fact.

"Guilty as charged," Sharpay gloated, thoroughly impressed with her own cleverness.

As she listened to her friends banter, Taylor's face broke into a huge smile. She had heard all she needed to hear in making a decision to stay. Throwing open the car door, she jumped out and immediately went rushing into Chad's waiting arms. Their friends watched the little reunion scene with amusement.

"Baby am I ever glad to see you," Chad sighed, holding Taylor tight, as he spun her around in his arms a few times. Then he put her put down and both just stood there staring at one another like they were the only two people in the world.

"Hey Taylor," both Troy and Zeke called, waiting for Gabriella and Sharpay to get out of the car so they could have some of what Chad was already getting and loving every moment of.

"Hey guys," Taylor waved with a laugh, momentarily coming out from under Chad's spell, just as Gabriella and Sharpay finally climbed out to join the rest of them.

Zeke waved a welcome to his girl, then quickly went over to where she was standing, followed with a tender hug and a sweet kiss hello.

"Hey Brie," Zeke said turning to smile in Gabriella's direction, as he draped a lazy arm across Sharpay's shoulders.

"Hey Zeke, how's it going?"

"Pretty great now that you ladies are finally here," was his reply. "When Shar called this morning and told me to round up the guys and bring them out for a big surprise, I had no idea what she had in mind."

"Yes. Your girl is quite the little task master to be sure," Gabriella remarked with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"That she is," Zeke agreed winning even more favor with Sharpay. "After the thing with you and Troy Friday night and then the drama with Chad, Taylor and their folks on Saturday, it was Sharpay who took matters into her own hands to try to make things right, especially after I filled her in on what was going on with the guys."

"Well as long as Chad and Taylor's parents don't find out about any of this, I'm good," Gabriella said. "They would both be in major trouble if anyone knew they were together like this, even if it wasn't their idea."

"Like they care," Sharpay snorted in response. "The way those two are acting right now they probably wouldn't even notice if the whole world was coming to an end."

They all glanced over to where Taylor was leaning against Troy's car, giggling as Chad tried to nuzzle her neck playfully.

"Yep. They definitely look like two people who would walk through fire if they had to to be together," Gabriella said, feeling a slight envy at seeing her friends so happy, while she still had yet to even acknowledge the presence of the one she loved.

Redirecting her focus from Chad and Taylor to a lone standing Troy not far away, Gabriella finally allowed herself to take full notice of the unanswered attention his eyes had been giving her since she and the girls had arrived. The look they shared between them when their eyes met was intense with longing on both ends.

"Looks like someone is waiting to be properly greeted hello," Sharpay announced, giving her friend a tiny nudge. "Why not go over and put super jock out of his misery. You know you want to."

Gabriella gave Sharpay a "don't push me look" but nevertheless took her advice and began to close the distance between she and Troy until they were both standing face to face. Gabriella started to say something but was silenced by his reaching out a hand and gently putting a finger to her lips.

"Don't say anything yet. Just listen to me first. Okay?" Troy asked, taking her hands in his. "All I've been doing for the last 24 hours is thinking about you, about us, and how I may have messed things up by being a jerk with Angelina who means nothing to me. Yes, I used to have a major thing for her a few years ago when I was still just a kid but that was then and this is now and now the only girl I see is you. So I'm asking you to forgive me Brie and not allow one stupid mistake I made keep us apart. I know I ruined some of our amazing evening Friday night, but if you let me I promise to make it up to you however long it takes."

Gabriella stood there speechless, her heart melting with each word spoken. She didn't even try to continue holding on to her anger with him. Any doubts she may have had about Troy's love for her seemed to drift away as she felt herself surrending to the pull of sincerity in his big blue eyes. Gabriella smiled and then moved into his arms where she knew she belonged.

"So I guess this means you forgive me?" Troy laughed, kissing the top of her head as an enormous sense of relief washed over him.

"Yes, I forgive you," Gabriella giggled feeling herself squeezed tighter. "How could I not. I love you Troy and trying to fight it is pointless."

"I love you too Brie," Troy sighed. "Nothing and no one is ever going to come between us again. I promise."

"Awww," Sharpay gushed from a few feet away. "It's good to see the two of you finally making up and things going back to the way they should be."

"I agree," Chad said walking up hand-in-hand with Taylor. "Nothings right if we aren't all in this together. And now that it's been settled that we are, lets take advantage of Sharpay's opportunity to party and do just that."

"Here, here!" everyone shouted together as they began to laugh and talk while drifting toward the house, all of them looking forward to the day that lie ahead.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Once she'd given everyone a grand tour of the house from top to bottom, Sharpay directed her friends out to the deck by the pool where each person was gifted with either a new designer swimsuit or a pair of the latest trunks.

When they took the amazing creations out of the personalized gift bag bearing their names, Gabriella and Taylor couldn't wait to try theirs own and rushed off to change as did Troy, Chad and Zeke.

While everyone was upstairs getting ready, Sharpay made a call up to the head chef at the country club and ordered a catered lunch be delivered to her door within the hour. Then she too went off to change into more appropriate pool party attire.

Fifteen minutes later, when they all had reassembled to model the new gear, there were more than enough enthusiastic cat-calls and whistles to go around. Sharpay was positively pleased that she'd made the right style choices for her girlfriends, both of whom looked quite sexy. The bonus was watching Troy and Chad being unable to keep their hands off of Gabriella and Taylor for more than a few seconds at a time. Sharpay also took note of the healthy appreciation her own suit was getting from Zeke who was looking hot himself.

"So Wildcats...what time is it!" Sharpay yelled ready to truly get things started.

"It's party time!" the others screamed as one by one they began jumping into the pool, as their hostess ran to crank up the music and then dove in too.

_Two hours later..._

After finishing off a five star lunch of various sandwiches, salads, fruit, and iced tea, the gang now sat around the pool on chaise lounges kicking back and feeling fine.

"Thanks for the awesome eats Shar," Chad complimented from across the pool, Taylor curled up in his lap, her head tucked just beneath his chin. "It was the best."

"This whole day is the best," added Troy who was situated at the foot of the pool, massaging sunscreen onto Gabriella's back. "What other Wildcats could possibly be living as large as we are right now?"

"None my brother, none," Zeke said giving Sharpay a proud wink. "My girl set us up big time today."

"That she did indeed."

"Well I hope you don't think this is all I have to offer you," Sharpay taunted sitting up in her lounge chair with a smile. "Now what kind of hostess would that make me?"

"Wait. You mean there's more?" Taylor asked unable to believe that there was anything that could top hanging out at a beautiful house, swimming in a luxury pool, and being fed like royalty.

"A little," Sharpay confessed just as her cell phone went off. Checking caller ID, she got up from her chaise and headed toward the house. "Excuse me a minute guys, I have to take this call."

They all watched her retreat, leaving them to wonder just what exactly she had planned next.

"I can't believe Shar thinks there is something better than this," Gabriella sighed under the warm kneading of Troy's capable hands.

"It totally feels like we are in paradise."

"Yes it does," Taylor agreed, happy and content laying there wrapped in Chad's strong arms.

"More like heaven on earth with you here Tay," he whispered against her ear, causing her to blush and tingle all over.

"

So guys, what do you think our parents would say if they knew we were living the high life like this?" Troy asked, leaning down to place a feathery kiss at the nape of Gabriella's neck.

"That's a no brainer man," Chad answered without hesitation. "If my folks knew where I was let alone with Taylor after we promised we wouldn't see each other for a while, I'd be home this second packing for military school."

"Make mine the convent," Taylor laughed, although it wasn't as funny a thought remembering how her mother went ballistic at finding them together the day before.

"Well neither one of you is going anywhere so no worries," Gabriella said, finally rising up from the lounger to turn herself around. "Nobody's parents are going to find out a thing about today so you guys are safe. Tomorrow you start your probation and in two weeks things are truly back to normal and then we all go off to have a blast during senior weekend."

When Chad heard the words "senior weekend" it hit him like a forgotten punch to the gut. He realized that Taylor still had no idea that his folks weren't letting him go.

"Umm...Tay...there's something I need to tell you about senior weekend," Chad started. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Troy signaling him against saying anything by shaking his head and silently mouthing the word no.

"What is it baby?" Taylor asked, gazing up at him with dreamy eyes and a love silly smile.

"Well...you see...it's like this...," Chad stammered, the words sticking in his throat.

He was on the verge of telling her everything, fearing his news was about to ruin their perfect day, but luckily was saved when Sharpay reappeared poolside again. And she wasn't alone. There were three clone-like women standing just behind her.

"Everyone, this is Glory, Marguerite, and Celia. They're staff from the spa at the club. For the next two hours these ladies will be in charge of giving Taylor, Gabriella and I manicures, pedicures and facials."

Troy gave Chad and Zeke an eye roll that told them party time was about to be over or at the very least put on hold for a while. Then feeling silly, he began waving his hand in the air like he was trying to be picked to answer a question in Darbus' class. His boys started cracking up. Sharpay stood there staring at him like he was a fool but then decided to play along.

"Yes Troy," she primly said, pointing a finger in his direction. "You have a question for the group?"

He nodded his head with a cocky smirk. "I do. Just what exactly are we guys supposed to be doing while our girlfriends are off being pampered at the Diva's In Training Day Spa?"

"Yeah Shar what about us?" Chad wanted to know too, cracking up at the way his boy was messing with her.

Sharpay rolled her eyes and placed hands on hips, ignoring the spa dig.

"Oh stop your whining boys," she chastised. "While we are off making ourselves even more gorgeous for the undeserving, might I suggest that you check out daddy's phat little billard room and see if that offers you any distraction. Or, better still, if that doesn't get your scooters revved up, try going down the hall and checking out the 60-inch plasma TV with surround sound. Our extensive DVD collection includes the ultimate must have: this year's NBA playoff games including the championship."

"Say what!" Troy, Zeke and Chad shouted, turning into excited little boys right before their girlfriends' eyes. "Now you're talking."

"I thought you might like that one," Sharpay laughed, proving to herself once again that she knew just how to handle men no matter the crisis.

Shaking her head like she couldn't believe what she was seeing, Taylor smoothly strolled over to where Gabriella was standing trying not to laugh at how their boyfriends were jumping around doing everything but end zone dances.

"Man she's good," Gabriella whispered, want to fall out in hysterics watching her boyfriend sadly trying to pull off some weird macho tribal dance in his excitement.

"Girl I know," Taylor whispered back, trying to contain her own laughter as she eyed Chad bouncing around like he had dynamite in his shorts chanting "NBA baby!"

Both then turned in Zeke's direction since it was obvious their own men were total goners. When they saw his zombie like demanor the girls almost lost it.

"What's wrong with Zeke? Is he okay?" Gabriella asked in that same hushed tone. "He looks like he's in shock."

Taylor knew she was about to become a puddle on the floor.

"He probably is Brie," she said through lips trembling to laugh. "You know that boy is so nutty over Sharpay he probably thought he heard her say souffle instead of NBA and did a code blue right on the spot."

Right then and there Gabriella lost it with Taylor right behind her. They were laughing so loud and so hard that they almost didn't notice that they were being summoned.

"Yoo hoo ladies," Sharpay waved to them from the edge of the pool. "It's time to glamourize."

"Coming!" The girls giggled in unison, rushing by their boyfriends without a second thought, not even trying to intrude on whatever zone they were all in.

_Late Afternoon, 5:00 p.m._

With less than an hour to go before her day in paradise came to an end, not to mention the start of a 2-week punishment looming on the horizon, Taylor McKessie was surprisingly still one happy young lady.

As she stood fixing her hair in the mirror of one of the upstairs guest rooms, Taylor reflected on the rough time that lay ahead for she and Chad in the coming weeks. It was going to be difficult, especially after such an amazing day together, to not be able to see each other whenever they wanted. But after all the fun, friendship and camaraderie shared that afternoon, Taylor felt a renewed belief that everything would turn out okay.

When she was finally satisfied with her reflection, Taylor walked back into the bedroom to grab her things and head downstairs only to be started by the sight of Chad sitting on the edge of the bed, staring

up at her with those beautiful brown eyes of his.

"Oh my God baby you scared me!" Taylor exclaimed putting hand to heart, even though she was really happy to see him.

"Well it took you long enough," Chad teased, dazzling her with one of his oh so sexy smiles. "I wasn't sure if you were ever gonna come out of there."

Taylor laughed. "And just what are you doing up here anyway? I thought you, Troy and Zeke were watching basketball, playing pool or some other manly pursuit while we girls were busy getting dressed after all our lovely pampering."

"We were," Chad answered standing up from the chair and walking over to where she stood. "But then Sharpay and Gabriella showed up and the distraction factor got too great so we shut things down."

"Oh I see. And poor wittle you was left all alone with no girl of his own to be distracted by," Taylor said, now the one doing the teasing.

"Exactly, which is why I'm up here trying to improve my odds," Chad laughed as he slipped his arms around Taylor, kissing the tip of her nose. "Time is running out on our little party and I want to make good use of every single minute before…"

"Before we have to go home and deal with our parents' brilliant idea of how to keep us in line," Taylor finished for him.

"Hey, no worries remember? We are going to breeze through these next few weeks like they are nothing and then we'll be back to normal," Chad proclaimed, sounding more confident than he actually felt. He still had yet to tell her the unpleasant news about senior weekend.

"I hope you're right. Because I don't know what I'd do if I even thought for one minute that my parents were intending to drag this punishment thing out any longer than they said," a worried Taylor confided.

"Well that isn't going down like that so don't trip yourself out about it. Okay?"

"Okay," Taylor nodded.

"Good. So how about you and me take a walk somewhere, just the two of us before we have to leave in a little while?" Chad suggested, taking Taylor by the hand and steering her toward the door.

"Lead on Mr. Danforth."

"Oh I plan to Miss McKessie."

Arriving downstairs, they found Troy and Gabriella involved in an intensely competitive game of pool, which Brie was obviously winning.

"Hey you two. Taylor and I are going for a walk. We'll be back in a few," Chad announced, briefly sticking his head through the doorway without breaking his or Taylor's stride.

"Okay, but make sure you're back by 6:00 p.m. sharp!" Gabriella called in a motherly tone. Then she turned her focus back to the table, lined up a shot so sweet that any pool shark would be proud of, and brought beautiful jock Troy Bolton to his knees with a groan.

Just down the hall, Chad and Taylor came upon Sharpay and Zeke in the kitchen with Zeke, practically having a fit because he desperately wanted to prepare something, anything, in the state of the art kitchen he'd fallen in love with at first sight.

They tip-toed by that Kodak moment with a quickness, trying to stifle their laughter as they passed, especially when they heard Sharpay tell Zeke that they were pressed for time, to crack open a box of Jell-O already, and get over it.

Once outside, Chad grew playful decided to take off in a sprint down the driveway, leaving a surprised and laughing Taylor to chase after him. When she finally caught up to the spot where she thought he had run too he was no where to be seen. Taylor never saw Chad coming when jumped out from behind a group of trees and semi-tackled her to the ground.

At first Taylor decided to pretend that she was hurt just to see the reaction she would get. Nothing prepared her for the rollercoaster of emotions she witnessed Chad go through in the space of a minute at the mere thought that he had caused her harm.

When she couldn't stand watching him beat himself up any longer she came clean. Jumping up, she pounced on Chad totally catching him off guard. The next thing he knew he was the one on his back with Taylor sitting on top of him, a huge smile of victory on her pretty face.

When he realized that she wasn't hurt and had played the player, Chad was less than thrilled. He so wanted to be mad at her for tricking and scaring him the way she had but, instead, decided to tickle her until she begged for mercy. It didn't take long before Taylor lie gasping next to him on the grass, holding up her hands, shouting for him to stop because she couldn't take any more.

"That'll learn you," Chad smirked, satisfied that he'd paid her back in some small way for worrying him so.

When they both were finally able to stop laughing, Chad rolled over onto his side and stared at Taylor with his whole heart in his eyes.

"Today was great Tay. I'm really glad Sharpay tricked us into coming out here. Granted the girl is hot mess to be sure, but nobody can claim she isn't a true friend when you need her to be."

"Yep, Shar did good," Taylor agreed, moving closer to Chad as was her habit whenever he was near her. "I just wish it didn't have to end

so soon."

Chad reached over and brushed a lock of hair away from Taylor's face and sighed. Everything about her rocked his world. Lying down on his back again, he pulled Taylor toward him so that her head came to a rest on his stomach. For a while they laid their like that, listening to the sound of their breathing. Finlly Chad spoke.

"Tay I have something I need to tell you," he said, his voice becoming deep and serious. Now was as good a time as any to lower the boom about senior weekend.

She turned her head to looked up at him with curious eyes. "What is it?"

"My folks went a little farther than yours when it came to doling out the punishment for our mistake the other night."

"How so?" Taylor asked now sitting up concerned.

Chad raised up as well. "They've grounded me from going on senior weekend."

"Oh no!" Taylor shouted. "That is totally and completely unfair Chad. All because you accidentally fell asleep at my house? That's just ridiculous."

"I know, I know. But I'm hoping that by this time next week I'll have found a way to convince them of all that and get them to change their mind about my going. I just needed you to know in case things don't go as planned."

"Well if you can't go then I won't either," Taylor declared stubbornly, feeling all the happiness of her perfect day shifting to frustration and anger.

"Don't say that. I want you to go Tay even if I can't. We've all been looking forward to this for a long time. Sharpay's practically sold her soul to make sure this year's outing the best one yet in East High history. You can't miss out on this. And frankly, I won't let you," Chad stated in a commanding tone.

"Oh you won't let me huh? Well you can talk until you are blue in the face Chad Danforth, but if you think I'm going off on one of the biggest events of our senior year without you, think again, " Taylor stated defiantly.

Chad couldn't keep himself from smiling at the love and loyalty she had for him.

"Has anyone ever told you just how beautiful and totally hot you are when you get all riled up this way Miss McKessie?"

She wanted to stay mad at his folks and hers, but it was obvious that he wasn't going to allow that to happen so in spite of herself, Taylor laughed.

"I know what you are trying to do Chad but it isn't going to work. I have every right to be furious with your parents right now and mine too."

"Of course you do baby," he purred in a low seductive voice. "But I can think of a few things far better to get your blood boiling right now and none of it involves Lisa and Lee Danforth or Robert and Glenda McKessie."

"Oh really?" Taylor flirted back, unable to resist his charms. "And what exactly did you have in mind?"

His reply came in the form of a kiss that was so insanely passionate that it scared them both with it's intensity.

"Wow!" Taylor sighed as Chad's lips slowly lingered against hers before totally parting. "That was…that was…"

"That ws something for you to keep in mind whenever you are missing me as much as I'm missing you over the next few weeks," Chad clarified with a knowingly confident smile.

They both began to laugh and were leaning in for another scorching liplock, when their "us against the world" moment was rudely interrupted by the sound of a car horn honking off in the distance.

Getting to their feet, Chad and Taylor looked toward the house and saw Troy and Gabriella jumping up and down and waving for them come back.

A sullen frown crossed Chad's lips. "Damn! I guess it's time to go."

"Yeah, I guess so," Taylor sighed a little sadly.

Chad took her into his arms and held on tight.

"Just keep reminding yourself of one thing Tay, whenever we're apart. The most important thing of all really. You know what I mean?"

Taylor nodded and gave him a beautiful smile filled with every inch of her heart.

"That we're in this together."

"All the way," Chad said with a wink.

Then taking Taylor's hand in his, they began walking back to the house ready to face whatever was to come, both knowing that it was their love and friendship that was going to see them through.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_Sunday Morning, One Week Later..._

Try as he might, Chad couldn't keep himself from being awakened by the faint sound of tapping at his bedroom door.

"Yeah," he groaned from underneath a mound of pillows, his head still groggy with sleep. "Whomever it is come back later."

There was a quiet pause then the door slowly creaked open and Lisa Danforth emerged from the other side. She stood for a moment staring at her nearly grown son tangled up in his covers, reminding her of the long ago days when he was still her precious baby boy. Now he was on the verge of manhood and for a second, Lisa felt a stir of the empty nest syndrome flutter around her heart. She smiled when Chad released a tiny snore, telling her that in a space of 30 seconds he had already gone back to sleep.

"Chad. Baby. Wake up. It's mom," Lisa whispered as she tiptoed across the room to the side of his bed. "I need to talk to you."

"Huh? What?" Chad mumbled, subconsciously knowing that the knock on his door had not been a desired dream after all.

"I know it's early but I'm leaving for the airport in a few minutes and I wanted to say good-bye," his mother explained, her voice low and hushed.

A head of crazy light brown curls slowly appeared from beneath the sheets with an exasperated yawn.

"Mom?" Chad said as if he could barely remember his own name at that moment.

"Yeah, it's me," Lisa replied, fighting the urge to reach out and stroke his cheek he looked so like the little boy she missed and loved. "I'm heading out now with Aunt Ro to go see your grandmother. I didn't want to leave without seeing you first."

"Oh," Chad sighed, worried for a moment that something was wrong, his eyes barely open as he sat up in bed. "So this is one of those mother things?"

Lisa laughed. "Boy, you are a mess just like your father."

Chad gave her a sleepy smile. "I'm not a boy mom, I'm a man."

"Yes you are," she agreed with pride filled eyes. "That's what I came in to tell you."

He gave Lisa a look of puzzled confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well," his mother started, "It means that I'm very very proud of you Chad. Of the way you've handled yourself regarding the decision we and Taylor's parents made about limiting the time you two see each other."

Hearing the sound of his girlfriend's name sent a stab of longing to his heart. He quietly listened to the rest of his mothers words, wondering where they were leading.

"I know that you think what we did was harsh but truly baby it was for your own good. Taylor is a beautiful girl whom we like very much as we know you do too..."

"It's more than like mom. I'm in love with her," Chad interrupted in a calm but firm voice.

"I know you are baby," Lisa nodded in understanding. "Which is why I can only imagine how hard this last week has been for you both with school alone as your only connection."

"It's been tougher than I thought possible, but if it makes things right for me and Tay I can deal," came her son's mature reply.

"Exactly, which is why I wanted you to know before I left that your father and I have decided to reconsider allowing you to go on your senior weekend."

"Really mom!?" Chad shouted, scrambing over the covers to give Lisa a hug like her little boy found. "You mean it?"

"Yes baby, I mean it. As long as you stay out of trouble until I get back on Wednesday, there's nothing keeping you from being with your friends and Taylor come this weekend."

The shock of such good news left him barely able to speak. At that moment, more than anything, he wished he could share what he was feeling with his girl.

"Thanks mom," was all Chad could say in his relief.

"You're welcome," Lisa smiled, leaning in to gently kiss his cheek. "Just promise to continue being the man you've shown me you can be while I'm gone. Oh...and...watch out for your father and sister."

"I promise," Chad gave his word.

"Good. Now let me go before your Aunt Ro starts blowing up my cell phone wondering where I am."

They shared a knowing laugh.

"See you when I get back," Lisa said, heading toward the door to leave. Chad called out to her.

"Mom."

She turned to see him sitting there on his bed with a look in his eyes she hadn't seen since he was a child.

"I love you. Have a safe trip."

"I love you too sweetheart. Now go back to sleep," Lisa ordered, giving him a wink as she left, closing the door behind her.

When she had gone, Chad threw himself back onto his mound of pillows, happier than he'd felt in what seemed like a long time. He still couldn't believe that he and Taylor had actually gotten through their first week of probabtion without drama of any kind.

Sure they saw each other right before school, when they stole a moment in the hallway to chat between classes, or that hour of lunch they both looked so forward too, but it still wasn't enough and had been difficult nonetheless. But now there was a definite light at the end of the tunnel and he was going to be thankful that it had arrived in the nick of time.

Realizing that he was too excited and full of restless energy to even think about going back to sleep, Chad all but bounced out of bed, deciding to throw on some clothes and go shoot hoops in the backyard. Then later, maybe he'd take his baby sister, Corrine, to the zoo and afterwards see if Zeke and Troy were free for a movie.

_The DeLeon House, Late Sunday Afternoon_

Marissa, Angelina and Julian, semi-drunk and totally rowdy, were seated around the kitchen table playing poker and drinking Cuervo Gold Tequila shots. The girls' parents and younger brother had gone to visit relatives for the night, so they'd called up their beautiful scoundrel of a cousin and invited him over for an impromtu party at their place.

Julian had arrived at the house shortly thereafter with Tequila in hand and fun on his mind. For him there had never been a time in his life when he hadn't enjoyed hanging out with his favorite uncle's two beautiful but willful daugters who put all the other females in their family to shame.

When he'd heard that Angelina had been back in town for over a week, the calls to her phone had been non-stop and, to his surprise, unanswered. Granted he was close to Marissa, who was like the little sister he'd never had, especially since he was an only child, but Angelina was the one who had always gotten under his skin even when they were kids. There was something in her nature that he was undeniably drawn too, an explosive attraction that had hovered like a dark cloud over their relationship from the start. The forbiddeness of it had only made Julian love her more, not as a cousin but first as a boy and then a man.

Now sitting opposite Angelina, laughing and talking with she and Marissa as his eyes devoured and his heart hungered, Julian grew curious as to why she had returned after all this time. He knew she was after something or someone but had yet to discover what or who. The gift of Tequila had merely been his sly method of prying the information he so desired loose from no other lips but her own.

Glancing over at Marissa he smiled, already knowing perfectly well who and what she wanted.

"So...Risa...have you told Lina about your little plan to re-snag the affections of one mop headed senior named Chad Danforth?" Julian teased, as they both tossed down their hand of cards in defeat.

"What?" was Angelina's intrigued reply, as she scooped up her winnings from the table. "You're going after cute little Chad again? I thought he was hung up on Taylor McKessie?"

An annoyed Marissa rolled her eyes in Julian's direction, who in turn blew her a smug kiss.

"First of all Lina there is nothing little about Chad anymore. Second of all, Taylor is nothing but a passing phase. By the time the senior prom rolls around you can best believe that I will be the one Mr. Chad Danforth is sporting proudly on his arm."

"Oh really?" came her cousin's taunting voice from across the table. "Well so far you haven't convinced me of that little one, considering he's barely even noticed you since you put your plan into effect."

"What plan?" Angelina interrupted, still counting out her money from the hand of poker she'd just won.

"Well it all started with the brilliant idea of her getting your mom to work Chad's mom to get him to agree to be her escort for her debutatnte ball. That fell threw even with an all expense paid trip to Chicago to outfit him in an Armani tux, not to mention a brief turn as a teen temptress in his room once the folks had gone to bed."

"You went to Chad's hotel room in the middle of the night Risa?" Angelina stated with open admiration. "Damn girl! Go on with your bad self."

"Bad self is right," Julian laughed. "He kicked her to the curb even after she laid it on him not once but twice."

"Shut up!" Marissa snapped, hating how pathetic his replaying of her humiliation at Chad's hands truly sounded. "Everything was on its way to being fine until you busted in."

"What the hell?" Angelina gasped, whipping around in her chair to give Julian the look. "Are you telling me you were in the room with them when all of whatever was going on?"

Julian gave her a mischevious smile. "Not exactly. Let's just say that I popped in unannounced to provide a service my sweet little cousin seems to have forgetten was at her request."

"What kind of service?" Angelina pushed. "Stop talking in damn riddles and just spit it out."

"He told me he was going to be in town visiting some of his friends that weekend so I asked him to come by the hotel and do me a little favor. I called about a half an hour before so his timing would be right and when he got there he came up to the room, opened the door I'd left unlocked, and took pictures of me and Chad together," Marissa explained. "Or should I say just one picture."

"Why only one picture?" her sister asked, thinking that she'd missed a lot being on the other side of the world for the last two years. Marissa and Julian involved in any type of scheme signaled trouble with a capital T.

"You'll have to ask James Bond here to answer that question for you," was his cousin's sarcastic reply. "Not that it really matters, since the picture he did get was perfect."

"Yeah, well if it was so perfect Risa why haven't you used it yet to break up Chad and Taylor so you can have him all to yourself?" Julian snarked, the effects of the liquor turning his nature a bit defensive and even a little mean.

"Because Romeo we decided it was better that you're the one who is supposed to be stealing Taylor from under his nose to avoid my being hated by him if I were to show her that picture," Risa shot back wanting to smack his handsome face. Sometimes he was a total pain in the ass.

"Wait a second. You've got the hots for Taylor McKessie?" Angelina shook her head looking at her sister and cousin in disbelief. "When the hell did you start going after baby's in high school Jules?"

"Jealous Lina?" He taunted, hoping deep down she was.

Angelina rolled her eyes as if. "Please Julian, get over yourself already."

"Taylor's a little hottie. Smart, funny and with a body to match. She's definitely got way too much going on to be wasting herself on Danforth that's for sure."

"Well from what I saw of Chad the other night when I ran into the both of them at the _Golden Garlic_, he's definitely not a little boy anymore. In fact, he was positively yummy from what I remember, and Taylor did not have the look of a girl planning to turn him loose anytime soon."

"But she will, eventually," Julian assured with over inflated confidence. "Chad's already lost her and he doesn't even know it yet."

"Whatever," Angelina brushed aside. "Just realize that this little game you and my sister are playing with other people's lives could turn around and take you down instead."

"Like you can talk Lina," Marissa stated as she leaned back in her chair, the effects of the liquor bringing a nasty little smirk to her lips. "From what I've heard about your display with Troy Bolton that night, seems as if you are in no position to lecture me or Jules about anything."

"What are you talking about? What display?"

"The show you put on for his girl and their friends by fawning all over Troy like he was some long lost boyfriend or something. I heard he got so turned on by the whole thing that he and Gabriella nearly broke up over it."

Julian snickered at the shift in the conversation.

"Think what you like Risa, but your little spies, whomever they are, got the story wrong," Angelina defended. "All I did was say hello to someone I remember as being very sweet to me when we were both still kids."

"Sweet?" Marissa snorted with laughter. "Come on Lina. Troy walked around school like he was scared to death of you one minute and ready to rip your clothes off the next he had it so bad. And knowing you as I do, you ate that kind of attention up and used it to toy with him until you graduated and left him looking like a chump."

"Yep. That's the story I heard too," Julian threw in to stir the pot starting to boil between the sisters.

"Do you know how crazy you sound right now?" Angelina asked, starting to loose what little bit of patience she had left for either of them. "You make it sound like Troy and I dated or something, I led him on, and then broke his heart, which never happened."

"Of course it didn't happen," Marissa stated with attitude. "What use would a man-eater like you have for a little boy like Troy back then but as some unrequited love slave? But just like you noticed how Chad isn't a kid anymore, the same can be said for his bestfriend too. So don't go acting like you're Ms. Innocent and Jules and I are the devil incarnate. I may not have been there to see it for myself but I have no doubt that there was more to your little reunion with Troy than some old friends crap."

"Believe what you want. I'm done here," Angelina said with a tone of well controlled anger as she stood up from the table. "Just remember something little sister. I was a master at the game you are playing and unlike you I never got into something that I couldn't handle or get out of when need be. Seems to me that Chad and Taylor are really in love and if you set out to destroy that be prepared for the consequences. Now I'm out of here. I've got a date and I need to get ready. You two keep having fun without me."

And with that Angelina walked out of the kitchen, not another word spoken. When she was gone, Julian sighed and poured he and Marissa another shot.

"Man she's pretty pissed with us right now," he said, clinking his glass against that of his cousin's. "You really worked her over with that stuff about Troy Bolton."

"I know I did," Marissa said, feeling pleased that she'd upset the perfect one for a change. People couldn't imagine what it was like being the siser of a girl like Angelina who had always had the world handed to her on a silver platter but never really deserved it.

"You think she'll cool off any time soon?" Julian asked with a slight slur.

"I really don't care Jules. She's always lording it over us like we don't know what time it is with her and all the dirt she's pulled. Angelina can deny all she wants but something tells me that she's about to become a problem for one Gabriella Montez."

"You think?"

"I know Julian. This is Lina we're talking about here. If she can play a man for all he's worth she will. Troy's fair game. Gabriella better be planning on giving her boyfriend a senior weekend to remember or else that reunion at the restaurant just might turn into more."

"I don't know Risa," Julian said with skepticism, not wanting to admit that the thought of Angelina showing interest in Troy or anyone else bothered him greatly. "Sounded to me like she still see's this guy as a kid from back in the day."

"You mean like the way you see Taylor as a kid since I already know you think that about Chad?" Marissa called out on the carpet.

"Taylor's a different story. And...speaking of which...I've got something to tell you," Julian smoothly diverted from the topic at hand. "Mr. Wilson called last night to ask me to be a chaperone during senior weekend. I said yes."

"For real?" Marissa's eyes grew wide with interest.

"Yep. So if you want to kick our little plan up a notch with Chad and Taylor, this is the time to strike when they least expect it. Especially since you'll be there too and we'll have

a chance to work as a team out in the open so to speak."

A very tipsy Marissa gave Julian a near evil smile and began nodding her head with the possibilities.

"So dearest cousin, pray tell, just what exactly do you have in mind?"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

_East High, Monday Morning, 10:50 a.m._

The girls were lost in chatter as they walked by the second floor stairwell on their way to English class, when Chad suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, grabbing Taylor's hand.

"Hey. We need to talk," he said, gently pulling her in the direction of the empty stairway just below. "It's important."

"God Chad! You scared me!" Sharpay snapped nearly dropping her bag due to his unannounced presence. "At least warn someone the next time you decide to just pop out of thin air. Geez."

Gabriella laughed. "Hey Chad."

"Hey Brie," he said, his full attention still fixed on Taylor. "You coming?"

"Yeah, okay" Taylor said, slightly caught off guard by the ambush herself, but following Chad's lead nonetheless.

Sharpay and Gabriella watched them leave with curious looks wondering what was up. Then shrugging their shoulders they continued on to class. Whatever was going on they both knew Taylor would fill them in later.

Racing down the stairs like the building was on fire, an excited Chad brought them to a stop on the landing just below, where a large glass window overlooked the baseball field. No one else was around at the moment.

"So...please tell me you have a very good reason for dragging me away from my girls and possibly making me late to class?" Taylor reprimand with a smile. She leaned her back against the wall happy to see him after two long days apart.

"I'm sorry. It just couldn't wait until lunch," Chad explained. "I promise this will only take a minute."

"A minute and counting," Taylor teased, puttind down her book bag as she checked her watch pretending impatience.

"My folks said I can go on senior weekend!" Chad blurted out, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?!" Taylor shouted, her eyes growing wide with shock. "Are you serious? They really said you could go?"

"Yep. My mom told me yesterday before she and my aunt left to visit my grandmother. Said she and dad were proud of the way I've handled myself this past week over their decision to reign in our romance for our own good."

Taylor was speechless for about a second before she threw herself into Chad's arms so happy she could cry. Finally his parents had come to their senses realizing what an important part of senior year this trip was for their son.

"That's wonderful!" Taylor squealed, planting a giddy kiss on his lips. "Probaby the best news I've heard all year."

Chad laughed. "I'd have to agree with you there."

They began to talk excitedly about their plans for the coming weekend like they didn't have a care in the world. Both knew they needed to hurry up and get to class, but were feeling much to good to let the other go. As fate would have it, that was exactly the moment when the final bell signaling the start of third period rang.

"Damn!" Chad exclaimed glancing at his watch, as a few student stragglers hurried by giving him and Taylor knowing looks. "I wish it was lunch right now so I wouldn't have to let you go so soon."

Taylor smiled her understanding since she felt the same way too. But time was of the essence. Both had to jet before they got into real trouble neither one needed when things were finally on the verge of going their way again.

She moved in closer for another kiss, only this one to be of the good-bye for now variety. Little did they know that only a few feet away Julian hovered in silence, listening in on what was believed to be a private conversation.

Although he had feelings for Angelina that far surpassed what he felt for anyone else, Julian couldn't deny that he was more than a little jealous at seeing just how much in love with Chad Taylor truly was. The girl definitely had stars in her eyes over him and he obviously felt the same.

Seeing them so happy together in their own little world, stirred up the dark side of Julian's nature. In that moment he wanted nothing as badly as to have Taylor surrender to him knowing she loved another, while Marissa worked Chad in her tangled little web 10 ways from Sunday. If he and his younger cousin pulled this off, it would only come second to his greatest unrealized triumph to date...Angelina finally admitting her love for him.

Slowly coming around the bend to where Taylor and Chad were standing in clear view, Julian observed their intimacy with a nasty little smirk. When the unexpected sound of his voice broke the spell between them, both turned and looked in his direction, Taylor in surprise and Chad with anger.

"Hey Taylor," came Julian's voice as smooth as silk like Chad wasn't even there. "I thought I just heard the bell ring. Shouldn't you be heading off to class?"

"Oh, hi...hi...Julian," Taylor stammered, blushing slightly at their being caught. "I didn't see you standing there."

"Obviously not," he teased giving her a smile and flirty wink that just about set Chad completely off. "I guess true love does that…makes you forget about any and everything around you."

"And now would be a perfect example of why that's a good thing," Chad spoke up, anger flashing in his eyes, a protective hand resting at the small of Taylor's back.

Ignoring the obvious bait flung his way, driven by her boyfriend's ego, Julian kept all eyes on Taylor, who was starting to feel a little uncomfortable under the heat of his gaze. She could tell from the sound of Chad's voice that he was about ready to blow.

"No need to be concerned," Taylor said reaching for his arm, ready to make a break for it. "We were just leaving."

"Well that's good to hear because I would hate to see you get into trouble for being tardy, especially with an English mid-term about to start," Julian stated cool and seductive as ice.

"Okay, just how in the hell do you know about her schedule, let alone when she's got a test..." Chad started with a growl but was quickly cut off by his girlfriend's quick thinking.

"Umm thanks Julian. You're right," Taylor agreed, looking for anyway to get her guy out of there before he did something he might later regret.

She turned to Chad still holding onto his arm. "You ready?"

For a moment he couldn't answer her he was glaring so hard in Julian's direction, wanting to slap that smirk off his cocky face.

"Chad! Are you ready?" Taylor asked again with more urgency. "We've got to get going."

"Yeah, baby. I'm ready," he finally answered turning to face her. "But I've got gym this period remember? I'm going in the opposite way."

"That's right," Taylor recalled, giving him that special smile that was for him and him alone. "So I guess I'll just see you in about an hour at lunch?"

"You know it," Chad said, leaning over to give her a quick good-bye kiss on the cheek.

Taylor looked over at Julian and smiled too, only it felt awkward somehow. She then glanced back over at Chad one last time and smiled, before grabbing her book bag and dashing up the stairs.

Taylor wasn't gone for more than 30 seconds before Julian and Chad began circling each other in the deserted stairwell. A showdown was on it's way.

"You know you really need to stop sweating my girl," Chad warned through clenched teeth. "She might not see what's going on here but I do."

"Oh do you now?" Julian taunted with confidence, enjoying the way he was getting under Chad's skin. "And just what is it that you think is going on here? Could it be that you are starting to get a little worried that Taylor may eventually realize there are men out in the world who've got far more game to give than what you are offering her?"

"Head games maybe but not much else," Chad answered cooly sizing up his competition. "And none of it bothers me one damn bit."

"Oh really?" Julian asked smugly. "Why is that?"

"Because I've proven my love to Taylor over and over again, every time she needed me too that's why. I earned her trust, something you are clearly trying to trick out of her while with me it's given freely."

"For now perhaps, but things can change." Julian pointed out.

"The only thing that better be changing around here is you pushing up on my girl every time I look around these days," came the even-tempered threat. "Stay away from Taylor or else."

"Or else what little man?" Julian laughed feeling quite invulerable at the moment. Nothing about Chad Danforth intimidated him in the slightest. "Do you really think you can handle some of this?"

"The question should be do you want to see if I can?" was Chad's reply. "You may think I'm just a kid Julian but I'm warning you here and now. If you do anything and I mean anything to hurt Taylor, it's gonna seriously be you and me toe-to-toe."

"Oh, you mean like the way you hurt Marissa DeLeon?"

Chad never saw the sucker punch coming. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a girl whose family and yours have known each other all your lives and yet you couldn't respect that bond enough to not leave her humilated on one of the most important nights of her life," Julian snarled, happy that he'd knocked the wind out Danforth's sails with that tasty morsel of information.

"How do you know about me and Marissa?" Chad questioned, still too shocked to believe what he just heard.

"Never mind how I know I just do. So you keep that in mind when you talk about someone trusting you because clearly that can change on a dime. I wonder what Taylor would say if she ever got to see what an insincere little punk you truly are."

Chad snapped before he knew what was happening. He went to lunge for Julian like a bull seeing red. Luckily, in that instant, Coach Bolton came trotting down the stairs, stopping Chad before his fist made contact with that smug jaw.

"Danforth!" Coach Bolton shouted in his direction. "Why the hell aren't you in class? The bell rang five minutes ago."

"I know coach, I was just heading out," Chad replied, with barely concealed wrath in his eyes. "Mr. Blanchard here stopped to ask me a question."

"Well thats all fine and dandy but I don't need you getting any demerits for tardiness with the start of the new season just around the corner," Coach Bolton reminded, taking a second to give Julian a passing glance.

"I hear you," Chad said, slowly moving toward the stairs with his fists balled so tight he could feel his nails cutting into the palms of his hands.

"Thanks for your help Danforth," Julian called after him, knowing the hairs at the back of Chad's neck had to be standing up in fury. "We can finish our little discussion some other time."

Coach Bolton watched as Chad stopped on the stairs and turned around. Clearly the boy was seething.

"Oh I guarantee you and I will definitely be finishing up this particular conversation Julian aka "teaching" assisant. Count on it."

Then he looked at his best friend's father and gave a quick wave before bounding up the stairs. "Later coach."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_Wildcats Locker Room, 5:00 p.m._

"So wait...hold up...are you telling me that you almost punched out a teacher?" Troy asked, unable to take what he was hearing seriously. "You're joking right?"

Chad had just finished telling he and Zeke about the scene with Julian as they all went to get changed, having been the last to leave the showers after a grueling afternoon of basketball practice. The other Wildcats had already dressed and scattered leaving the three friends alone to discuss the situation freely.

"Teaching assistant," Chad corrected, lying down on one of the benches his hair still damp with steam, wearing nothing but a towel. "And no I'm not joking. Believe me when I tell you I was more than ready to beat that ass."

"Have you thought about what could happen if he reports you to Principal Matthews?" Zeke wondered as he opened his locker, sporting the towel only look as well. "If this guy decides to rat you out to the higher ups it could mean a whole lot of trouble you seriously don't need. Senior weekend was almost a lost dream up until yesterday and that was over something minor. Can you imagine what your folks would do if they got a call saying you assaulted a member of the faculty?"

"Zeke's right," Troy agreed. "If this Julian character has it in for you things could really get ugly. I'm just glad my dad was there to stop you from going too far."

"Yeah coach ran good interference to be sure, but it still doesn't change the fact that I want to beat this guy's face in," Chad stated sitting up on the bench with a sigh. "If you could have seen the way he was practically undressing Taylor with his eyes right in my face...man...just thinking about it gets me fired up all over again. Trust that if it were either Brie or Shar he was doing that too both of you would have reacted the same way."

"Well you're right about that," Troy admitted, pulling a shirt and pants out of his locker. "If some guy was making a move on Gabriella and in my face no less, I'd have some major problems with it."

"Same here," Zeke threw into the conversation. "Sharpay may be a handful but she's my handful and that's the way I like it."

Chad and Troy looked over at their friend with raised eyebrows and laughed. They both knew no rival of any kind could match what Zeke already put up with on a daily basis when it came to one Sharpay Elizabeth Evans.

"You know what really gets to me though?" Chad continued. "It's the fact that I know this guy doesn't give a damn about Taylor. He pretends to be her friend, her mentor in some way, but it's obvious he's after something. I just haven't figured out what that something is yet."

"Well you know that Taylor, just like Sharpay and Gabriella, is a total hottie. Can you really blame the guy for being attracted to her? She's got looks, brains and curves in all right places," Zeke pointed out, taking off his towel, starting to get dressed.

"Yep," Troy nodded. "Julian isn't gonna be the first guy to sniff behind Taylor whether she's with you or not. It's the same potential problem Zeke and I have with our own girlfriends too."

"I get what you're both saying, I do. But I'm tellling you this is different. We're not talking about love notes in Taylor's locker or some guy mooning over her in the lunch line," Chad explained, standing up. He padded over to his own locker, opened it and then slipped a t-shirt over his head. "What Julian is doing is...well...it's almost methodical. Like he's stalking her in some way."

"What makes you think that?" Troy asked stepping into his jeans and zipping them up.

"Yeah Chad. Stalker is a pretty strong word. You make this guy sound almost dangerous," added Zeke.

"Well for starters he knows about me and Marissa," Chad stated, reaching back into the locker for first his jeans than tennis shoes. "If that isn't a red flag I don't know what is."

"What do you mean he "knows" about you and Marissa?" came Troy's curious response. "Knows what?"

"That I was supposed to be her escort to that stupid debutante ball and that I bailed on her at the last minute," Chad relayed.

"How would he know about something like that?" Zeke wondered. "Is the guy psychic or what?"

"That's what I'm saying,"Chad remarked, his tone puzzled. "The guy was able to read me up one side and down the other over that whole incident. I'm telling you it creeped me out and pissed me off."

"Yeah, that is pretty strange," Troy mused, the picture becoming more clear as to why his friend might have valid reasons for concern. "Like Zeke said, how would he know something like that?"

"Marissa." Chad stated matter of fact. "She's the only person who could have told him about any of what went down."

"But why would she should do that? It doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense Troy but I know I'm right," Chad said adamantly. "The question is do I confront her about it now or wait until I find out just what exactly Julian wants with Taylor and then call them both out?"

"Well unless you have absolute proof that Marissa has been telling your business to this guy I'd say hold off on confronting her," Troy advised. "Besides, even if she is the one who told about the debutante stuff, it still doesn't change the fact that your bigger problem is Julian scamming on your girl and his knowing you know."

Chad nodded his head in agreement. His friends were right. No matter what Marissa's role was in all this, the bottom line was that he had a rival for Taylor's affections, one that didn't seem to have a problem playing dirty if it got him what he wanted. Unfortunately, the thing he wanted was the girl Chad was in love with and he knew he couldn't just stand by and watch her be used or worse hurt behind whatever twisted game Julian had decided to play with them both.

"Look...just for now...why not try to put this thing behind you. At least until after senior weekend," Zeke suggested, closing his locker door and grabbing his sports bag. "Then once we get back you can do a little detective work and see if you can't get the upper hand on this guy and find a way to back him off."

"I agree," Troy said, picking up his own bag ready to head out. "All you need to do is keep your temper in check for the rest of the week and just think about all the fun we're going to have in a few days. If you see Julian between now and then, just ignore him if you can."

"As long as he stays out of Taylor's face and my way that I can do," Chad promised. "But I'm telling you if he so much as..."

"No buts," commanded Troy. "Under no circumstances are you to allow this guy to push your buttons Chad. I mean it. It's not worth the risk. Like I said, we can handle this thing after we get back."

"Okay, okay," Chad said reluctantly. "I'll keep my cool."

"Good. Now can we get out of here before we're late?" Zeke asked walking toward the door as his friends followed.

"Late for what?" Chad asked.

"Hey...earth to Danforth," Troy joked. "Don't tell me you forgot that we have to go and pick up the bracelets for the girls today? The jewelry store left a message on Zeke's phone earlier letting him know they finally came in."

"Yeah. They said we have to pick them up now because tomorrow they are closing up for the Thanksgiving holiday and won't be back until the following week."

"I totally forgot all about it," Chad confessed. "I guess we better get a move on then."

"Yeah we better," Troy laughed pushing open the doors that led them out to the student parking lot. "That's if we all still want a senior weekend to remember."

"You know it!" Zeke and Chad howled giving each other hi-fives as the three friends walked up to Troy's car and piled in.

_Meanwhile, At The Evans' House_...

Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi and Sharpay were all sitting around Sharpay's bedroom going over last minute details for the trip that coming weekend. Each girl was equally excited about spending three days and two nights away from home in the company of their boyfriends, even Kelsi whose friendship with Ryan had yet to jump to the next stage of offically dating. Granted they'd still be under supervision, as chaperones were mandatory, but it didn't change the fact that this would be as close to a parent free vacation any of them had ever taken. Except for Troy that is. Coach and Mrs. Bolton had both signed up to come along at the request of Mrs. Darbus and others.

It was in the middle of their noisy little gabfest of laughs, giggles, boys and clothes, that Sharpay suddenly remembered this bit of detail about Troy's parents, triggering her recall about something else she'd been meaning to tell the girls since arriving at her house. She flounced down onto the bed next to Kelsi who was bent over in tears she was laughing so hard at something Taylor had just said.

"Ladies listen up," Sharpay commanded. "I've got news that I forgot to tell you about earlier."

Still laughing and talking, the three girls all turned in her direction.

"What's up Shar?" Brie asked, positioning herself Indian-style on the floor beside Taylor. "Have you decided at the last minute to add sushi massages to the activities roster?"

Kelsi and Taylor started cracking up again, sensing they were in for the next round of the Montez and Evans Show. The snarky little banter that was becoming a trademark with their two other friends was always nothingless than straight hilarity.

Sharpay scrunched up her face at the mere thought of eating raw fish.

"I detest sushi Gabriella," she said then paused for a moment in thought. "However, adding massages to the list of things to do might not be a bad idea. Only neck and shoulders of course. The last thing we need is for some of the clowns in our senior class to get bright ideas at being able to fully disrobe in a parentless environment. Nope. Not happening."

"You are such a killjoy Shar," Gabriella teased. "How are you ever going to get prom queen votes with decisions like that?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Can you and me put our little routine on hold for a moment so I can tell you what I find out today?"

"Sorry, go ahead," Gabriella smiled sweetly as she batted her eyes at her friend which made her laugh although she was attmepting to be serious.

"Okay," Sharpay began, composing herself. "So I'm in the office just before school lets out, talking to Principal Matthews and Mrs. Darbus, giving them the final paperwork to be processed for the trip, right?"

"Yeah," the girls all answered in one voice.

"And I'm about ready to get up and leave when who should suddenly walk in the door but Julian looking like the cat who just ate the canary. At first I thought he was there to say hi or drop off something. But the next thing I know Principal Matthews is standing up to shake his hand and welcoming him aboard."

"Aboard what?" Kelsi asked looking between her friends completely lost.

"My question too, Kel," Gabriella said wondering where this story was going.

"Aboard our senior trip that's what," Sharpay announced, her eyes specifically turning to catch a certain someone's reaction. "Apparently Julian was asked to fill in for Ms. Slatter as a chaperone which means he'll be around all weekend long."

Taylor's face practically hit the floor at the news.

"What! Please tell me this is a joke Sharpay. Please tell me that the one person Chad can't stand and is jealous of my friendship with isn't going to be under our noses when we're away."

"No can do girlfriend," Sharpay said. "I don't know what strings Julian pulled but he is going with us like it or not."

Taylor fell back onto the carpet with a groan. This couldn't be happening. She'd been on a high ever since that morning when Chad had told her that his folks had changed their minds about his going on the trip. Now this. Taylor hadn't forgotten how angry her boyfriend had been after Julian had caught them together on the stairs earlier. Chad was usually able to let a lot of things roll off his back but she had seen another side of him that told her that didn't apply to all things or people. Clearly he was going to have a major problem when he found out about this.

"Tay?" Gabriella said looking down at her friend. "You alright?"

"Of course she's not alright," Sharpay answered before Taylor could herself. "She knows like we do that this is a catastrophe in the making. I don't even want to be in the same room when she passes this info on to Chad. He's gonna go ballistic. Probably worse than the way I heard he was today when Coach Bolton stopped a near fight between him and Julian."

"Say what!?" Both Taylor and Gabriella exclaimed at the same time.

"Yeah," Sharpay nodded, in her element of dishing dirt. "I got the scoop from one of my little freshman informants whom, just so you know, I swore to secrecy since she was the only one besides Troy's dad who knows anything about what happened. The last thing we need on the brink of senior weekend is some scandal involving one of the Wildcat's star players and McKessie's college boy crush buzzing around campus."

"Thanks alot Shar!" Taylor said with a pout. "For your 411 Julian is not "my" crush."

"Girl please," Sharpay said with a laugh. "Anyone with eyes can see that guy has a thing for you. I'm still trying to figure out how you can't."

"Because there is nothing to figure out that's why," Taylor said defensively. "Julian and I are just friends and nothing more."

Again Sharpay laughed. "Whatever Tay. You keep telling yourself that and see how far it gets you. Every single person in this room knows this guy has the hots for you. It's a wonder Chad hasn't gone after him long before now."

"It's true Taylor," Gabriella said in full agreement. "Remember when I told you a while back that I had my suspicions about Julian? Well since then I've just sat back and watched him keep slithering around you when he can while he indirectly lets Chad and the rest of us know he wants you for more than a friend."

"Yep," Kelsi chimed in. "Even little inexperienced me can see what's going on."

Taylor shook her head in disbelief. "So what you're all really saying is that I'm too stupid to realize that I'm being manipulated by someone who is supposed to be my friend?"

Sharpay was about to answer her friend's question in typical blunt fashion, but stopped just short of parting her lips when she saw the waiting daggers in Gabriella's eyes if she even dared to go there.

Kelsi got off the bed and went to sit down by Taylor who wasn't looking too well and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Nobody is calling you stupid Tay. Not even close. All we're saying is that you're a good person with a good heart who doesn't have to scheme to get what you want. The same can't be said for Julian who is older and knows how to decieve. Whatever it is he wants from you, he's now started pulling a number on Chad to get it."

"So what exactly did happen between he and Julian? You never finished saying," Gabriella asked turning back to Sharpay. "They didn't actually have a fight did they?"

"No but it came pretty close. All my little source could tell me was that Chad was fuming and about to knock good old Julian down a flight of stairs when Troy's dad miraculously showed up. He barked at Chad for not being in class and then sent him on his way."

"And you're sure that's all that happened?" Taylor questioned, her stomach doing flip flops.

"That's all I was told."

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a car horn honking just outside the window. Going to see who it was, Sharpay glanced down and then turned with a smile.

"Looks like we have some unexpected visitors girls," she said.

"That must be Troy and Zeke," Gabriella said standing up as Taylor and Kelsi remained seated on the floor. "I told Troy to pick me up here on his way home from practice."

"Well it's Chad in the car too," Sharpay stated glancing over at Taylor whose ears perked up at the sound of her boyfriend's name. "I guess he didn't know you were here since you two have been so good at sticking to your probation."

"And don't say anything to let him know I am," Taylor warned getting to her feet and going to the window to stand in between Gabriella and Sharpay. She caught sight of Chad down below but quickly drew back so he wouldn't see her.

What she needed right now was time to think about how or even if she would tell him about Julian coming on senior weekend. The only way to avoid him is if neither of them went and that wasn't an option.

Taylor wanted to wait and let the day settle down and see if Chad would be approachable tomorrow. She knew if she went downstairs to say hi even for a moment, a risk in of itself since they still had three days probation to go, he'd see in her eyes that something was wrong. No. Taylor decided to hold off from saying anything to Chad about Julian for now.

At her insistence, Sharpay, Gabriella and Kelsi left her upstairs while they went down to greet the guys. Taylor could hear them laughing and talking just below and couldn't help herself from stealing another unnoticed peek of Chad sitting in the car. When she looked out of the window, she was shocked to see his eyes turned up at her, a dazzling smile on his face. He winked and waved. Laughing Taylor waved back and then sighed. No wonder she was so crazy about him. No matter what they were always in sync, something she knew she'd never have with anyone else, least of all Julian Blanchard.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

_Prelude To Senior Weekend, 72 Hours and Counting_

_Tuesday Afternoon, 2:45 p.m._

The school day was nearing its end with only 15 minutes to go, and Taylor still hadn't found a way to tell Chad that Julian was coming on the senior trip.

When she awoke that morning after a restless night of sleep, her intention had been to break the news to him just before the start of classes that day. But when she arrived on campus and saw him waiting for her outside the main building wearing that smile she loved so well, holding her favorite cup of Chai tea in hand, Taylor didn't have the heart.

Her next opportunity came during lunch, but again she backed down partly because Chad's mood was so light and playful, and partly because Sharpay had monoplized most of the hour with last minute instructions for senior weekend that she doled out like a drill seargent.

Now sitting alone in a private corner of the school's library, attempting to study for the last of her mid-terms the following day, Taylor's mind raced with worry over how Chad would react when she finally found the courage to drop the bomb that could potentially ruin all their plans for a weekend to remember. After everything they'd been through together in just the last month alone, it didn't seem fair that they were again faced with yet another trying obstacle so soon.

Sitting back in her chair with a sigh, Taylor realized that no matter how difficult the task at hand appeared to be, it wasn't fair to keep Chad in the dark about it any longer. Trying to convince herself that the reason she hadn't told him about Julian was to protect him was both selfish and unfair. He deserved to know the truth as far in advance as possible if for no other reason then to prepare himself for the inevitable just as she'd been trying to do since the night before.

She was so lost in her thoughts trying to put together just the right words to say, that Taylor barely noticed when the small table of freshmen girls only a few feet away, erupted into whispered ooohs and giggles as someone walking by suddenly distracted them from their studies and sent their adolescent hearts aflutter. It wasn't until she heard one of them say, _"That's Chad Danforth. Isn't he fine?" _that she snapped out of her fog, realizing that the one causing the commotion was now standing right behind her chair, leaning down low, the feel of his warm breath upon her neck.

"Hey beautiful," came the caress of a sexy whisper against her ear. "I've been looking all over for you."

Taylor did her best not to melt right there on the spot, slightly unnerved by the tingling sensation she felt all over from the closeness of Chad's body and sound of his voice.

Slowly turning around in her seat, she came face-to-face with a mischevous grin and smiling eyes. They were so close together that their noses were pratically touching. Taylor drank in the the sight and smell of him and sighed.

"Well it looks like you found me Mr. Danforth," she whispered back, in answer to his question. "Is there something in particular I can help you with?"

"As a matter of fact Miss McKessie there is," Chad stated, the immediate urge to kiss her overwhelming. "I was hoping you'd be available to give me some private tutoring lessons, if you have the time."

"Oh really? And what subjects are you having trouble with?" Taylor played along, her voice low and seductive.

"Only one actually. Love Thang 101. Heard of it?"

She shook her head trying not to laugh at her boyfriend's silliness. "Nope. Can't say that I have."

Chad's smile grew wider. "Well it's a class I've been taking ever since I fell for this sexy, sassy, girl-next-door type with brains to spare. I'm pretty sure my overall grade is still high but I'd rather not take any chances."

"And how is it that you think I might be of some assistance?" Taylor asked, her lips nearly brushing his own when she spoke.

"Well I was hoping that you could help me with some extra credit work. You know, something to make sure I pass with flying colors," came Chad's near breathless reply, his mind spinning with thoughts he knew he shouldn't be having. The intimate banter between them coupled with their close proximity was driving him crazy.

Taylor pulled back slightly with a teasing smile although they still were close enough to kiss.

"I wouldn't worry about passing or not Mr. Danforth, considering that you are already at the head of the class and the apple of the teacher's eye."

"Is that a fact?" he chuckled.

"That's a fact."

"Yeah, but what if I want to do extra credit anyway?" Chad asked, the dance still continuing. "It wouldn't be held against me, right?"

"And just what kind of extra work did you have in mind?" Taylor flirted, knowing that the heat of their encounter was getting to them both.

"Oh nothing really major, just this," Chad sighed unable to take it any longer as he closed the tiny gap between them, his hungry lips connecting with her own.

The table of freshmen girls who'd been gawking at them from the minute Chad had walked up to where his girlfriend sat, dissolved into giggles, gasps and finger pointing. At that moment, there was not one among them who wouldn't have traded places with Taylor McKessie in a heartbeat. The impulsive outburst brought a glance of warning in their direction from the school librarian, and caused Taylor to remember where she was and gently push herself away from those lips she found so hard to resist.

"Stop it Chad. People are watching," she quietly chastised. "Do you want us to get kicked out of here?"

He laughed at her embarassment, not caring who saw them.

"What I want is for you to pack up your books and come hang out with me for a little while. Is that doable?"

Taylor gave him a puzzled look. "Don't you have practice in a few minutes?"

"Coach has a meeting so he pushed it back to 4:00 p.m. That gives us nearly and hour to spend together," Chad replied, a hand cupped lovingly against Taylor's cheek. "So what do you say?"

"Well I did promise Brie and Sharpay that I'd see them after class so we could all go shopping for the trip, but I guess I can meet up with them a little later than planned."

"That's my girl," Chad smiled, starting to close up some of the books that were spread out on the table before them. "I'll let you finish up here and meet you at my locker in about five, okay?"

"Okay," Taylor nodded as she began putting away her pens, pencils and laptop.

Giving her a wink yet wishing it was another kiss, Chad made his departure, waving to the table of staring giddy Freshmen on his way out. This time their squeals of delight prompted the librarian to approach. As Taylor watched the group being sternly reprimanded, she couldn't help smiling to herself, understanding how they felt since Chad always had that same affect on her too.

_Five minutes later..._

As planned, Chad was patiently waiting by his locker, shooting the breeze with two of his teammates, when Taylor finally arrived.

"Hey baby," he said, slipping an arm around her waist as he kissed her cheek. "What took you so long?"

"You're kidding right? It's only been five minutes," Taylor laughed, shaking her head.

"Mmmm...Well that's five minutes too many for this boy," was Chad's reply, his buddies nudging each other in the side at Danforth's smooth comeback. No one needed to tell them twice it was time to go.

"Listen, me and David are gonna cut out," the boy named Brian said. "We'll catch you at practice later."

"Yeah, we got some hotties of our own we want to check in on first," David said with a sly wink, nodding his approval at the one already on his friend's arm. "See ya."

"See ya," Chad said giving each a hi-five before they walked off.

With his arm still around her waist, he turned to Taylor with a smile. "You ready to hang out for a while? Just you and me?"

"Of course. What did you have in mind?"

"I thought we'd catch a booth at Zoey's and maybe grab something to eat if you're hungry?"

"Actually, what I'm in the mood for is a double chocolate milkshake," Taylor said, already daydreaming of how good it would taste.

"Works for me," Chad complied, taking her hand.

They headed down the hall toward the main doors smiling and happy, neither one seeing the fierce look of jealousy in Marissa's eyes when they passed right by her unnoticed. She slammed her locker door in fury.

"Hey Risa what's up?" Katie Matthews, the principal's daughter asked walking up to her friend.

"What's up is that Chad is still being a jerk to me while he moons like a school boy over that heffa Taylor McKessie!" Marissa snapped irritably.

Katie sighed. "Girl when are you gonna finally let that go? You and Chad haven't been together in almost two years. I know you hate seeing him with someone else but the fact of the matter is that he's in love with Taylor."

"Well thank you for telling me something I didn't already know," Marissa snarled, rolling her eyes.

Katie ignored the tude completely. "Look Risa, you and I have been friends a long time, since we were kids. The last thing I want to see you do is throw yourself at a guy that no long wants to be with you. I know he was your first love and all but it's over and it's time you faced that fact and moved on. There are at least a dozen guys in school that would cut off their arms just to have you look at them the way you do at Chad."

"I don't want any of them," Marissa grumbled. "I only want..."

Katie held up a hand cutting her friend off. "I know, I know, you only want Danforth."

"That's right. And whether you believe it or not I intend to get him back."

"Well does he know that?" Katie asked with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. She loved Marissa like a sister but sometimes she could be as stubborn as they come. "Because from what I can tell Chad can't see any other girl he's so sprung on Taylor."

"Things can change," Marissa stated in a much calmer voice.

Her friend laughed. "Yeah, maybe when pigs fly."

"How about during senior weekend?"

Katie instantly stopped laughing. "What do you mean?"

A devious smile crept across Marissa's pouty lips. "Oh nothing really...just don't be surprised if come Monday morning you see Chad being a whole lot nicer to me then he's been."

"And Taylor? What about her?" Katie asked with uneasiness. She didn't like the look of trouble she saw brewing in her friends big green eyes.

"What about her? After this trip she'll be lucky if Chad gives her a second look. And when that happens it's just a matter of time before he comes back to me heart and soul."

_Zoey's, 3:30 p.m._

As luck would have it, when Chad and Taylor had entered Zoey's hand-in-hand 20 minutes before, they were able to secure a booth, the last one in the corner. Once they were settled in she ordered her milkshake while he opted for a power drink to get him ready for practice. After their orders were placed, Taylor decided now was the time to tell Chad about Julian. She'd been good at keeping her concern off of his radar up to this point, but it had been eating away at her all day. Do or die time had arrived.

"Baby, we need to talk," Taylor said, her voice giving off a tiny quiver. "It' about senior weekend."

Instantly, Chad knew something was wrong just from her tone and the expression on her face.

"What about senior weekend?" He asked full of caution.

Taylor swallowed the lump in her throat but forced herself to continue.

"Last night when we were hanging at Sharpay's, I found out something that you aren't going to like."

"Such as?" Chad prompted, the knot in his stomach growing bigger by the minute.

"Such as Julian being invited along as a chaperone for the senior trip," Taylor stated, as she braced herself for the blow up to come, which took less than a minute.

"Oh hell no!" Chad shouted, causing everyone in the diner to stop and stare at his outburst. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Although she could feel all eyes on them, Taylor didn't care. All that mattered to her in that moment was calming Chad down enough so they could figure out what to do next.

"I wish I were kidding," she offered, reaching across the table to take his hand in hers. "But Sharpay heard it all for herself when she was at a meeting with Darbus and Principal Matthews."

"And she's sure she heard the word chaperone used?" Chad asked, hoping that their friend had heard wrong.

"Yes," Taylor replied miserably. "Sharpay said everyone was thrilled that he'd accepted the invitation to take the place of Mrs. Slatter this weekend."

"Damn Tay! This just sucks," Chad complained, leaning back into the booth with a sigh.

"Who are you telling," Taylor agreed, glad to see that the momentary attention they'd gotten was now turning itself elsewhere. "I just about died yesterday when Sharpay pulled that one out of her trick bag."

"Isn't there some way we can stop him from coming?" Chad wondered in frustration and anger.

"How baby? Like it or not Julian is technically a member of the faculty. If Principal Matthews asked and he accepted there's nothing we can do."

"Except maybe beat that ass so good he'll be too broke down to come," was Chad's vengeful solution.

Taylor gasped. "Please tell me you are joking Chad Danforth? The last thing we need right now is for you to get into another fight with Julian. That isn't going to solve anything."

"Maybe not, but it sure as hell would go a long way in making me feel better," he joked, although there wasn't a damn thing funny about any of this.

Taylor moved closer and put her head on his shoulder. "Look, what's done is done. The question that remains is how are we gonna deal so that it doesn't ruin all our plans, not just yours and mine, but the ones we've made with Troy, Gabriella and everyone else?"

"I already told you my idea," Chad reminded, kissing the top of her head. "Other than that I don't know what to tell you."

"Fair enough. But I need you to promise me that no matter what happens you will do whatever it takes not to let Julian get under your skin or push your buttons. I'm hoping that if we just ignore his presence and stick to our plans everything will be fine."

"Agreed," Chad said, moving his arm to place around her shoulders. "But I'm telling you Tay, if he so much as looks at you cross-eyed I can't be held accountable for my actions."

Taylor sat up to face him. "Then we should have no worries because I don't intend to be anywhere near enough to Julian for him to look at me up, down, side-ways, and definitely not cross-eyed."

At that last remark, Chad couldn't help but laugh. "You know McKessie sometimes you can be pretty funny."

Taylor smiled, glad that she'd finally told him what was up. Leaning forward, her expression growing serious again, she gave him the sweetest of kisses.

"Funny or not, I want you to know that I am not going to allow anyone, I repeat, anyone to get in the way of our weekend. Nobody is taking this away from us Chad and if they so much as even think about trying they'll wish like hell that they hadn't."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

_Prelude To Senior Weekend, 48 Hours and Counting_

_Wednesday, 12:00 Noon_

Gabriella was standing at her locker, putting away the last of her books when Troy, unnoticed, came up behind her and placed his hands over her eyes.

"Guess who?"

Gabriella giggled. "Umm…Tom Cruise?"

"Nope. Try again?"

"Zac Efron?"

"Ewww. No way."

"Okay…let me see…Bart Simpson?"

"Now you're getting warm," Troy said with a huge smile on his face.

Gabriella turned around and gave him a hug.

"Well aren't you just a hot mess," she laughed, happy to see him after a morning filled with mid-terms on top of mid-terms. "I was wondering where you were since we only have half day and you already told me your dad cancelled practice."

"Yeah…I meant to actually be here before your last class let out, but got cornered by Sharpay. She wanted more last minute info on the scheduled sporting events planned for the trip," Troy explained, pulling Gabriella closer to him as their bodies leaned together against the open locker.

"That girl is turning into a one woman dynamo. I hope she unwinds enough by Friday to allow herself to have some fun this weekend."

Troy laughed. "If Sharpay can't crack a whip or bark an order there's no such thing as fun in her vocabulary."

"True, true," Gabriella nodded, knowing her friend was the ultimate in being a control freak. "But I think after all her hard work, she at least deserves to enjoy some of it don't you?"

"Absolutely," Troy nodded. "I for one intend to have so much fun that it's gonna take at least a week to recover. You, me, and our best friends off on an adventure of a lifetime…how couldn't we have a blast?"

"And that's even with your parents coming along as chaperones?" Gabriella reminded.

"Yeah," Troy conceded. "I mean at first it bugged me for sure. But then I realized that I'm pretty lucky in that my parents are cool and wouldn't do anything to cramp my style. In fact, my mom sounds like she's looking more forward to it then we are and doesn't seem the least bit interested in what we all may be up to for the duration."

Gabriella gave him a coy smile. "Oh…and are you saying we are going to be up to something Mr. Bolton?"

"You know it," Troy winked, leaning over to give her the kiss he'd been dying to ever since he snuck up on her.

They were interrupted by the sound of Chad's voice right behind them.

"Okay you two break it up or get a room, which ever floats your boat," he joked, slapping his best friend on the back, winking at Gabriella over his shoulder.

"You're one to talk buddy," Troy laughed. "You and Taylor have gotten so hot and heavy I expect the sprinkler system to go off every time the two of you walk down the hallway together.

"This is true Chad," Gabriella chimed in. "If we were to look up the words steam or heat in the dictionary right now, we'd probably find a picture of you and Tay just a cheesing."

"Oooh, no you didn't Brie," Chad said, as both he and Troy started cracking up. "I think that was below the belt or something."

"Awww come on," Gabriella smiled. "You know I mean that in a good way. I love that you and my girl are as close as Troy and I. It makes being couples so much more fun."

"Well I can't say that you're wrong, considering we Danforth men are known to have it like that," Chad boasted, but with humor not real conceit.

"Yeah…I know what you mean. I seem to recall that "it" thing running in the Bolton gene pool too," Troy added as he and Chad started giving each other hi-fives.

Gabriella jus stood their laughing at the both of them as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Let me just state for the record that you two are hopeless."

"Aaah…but you still love me anyway, right?" Troy teased, grabbing her up in his arms again. "And Taylor still loves Chad, right? So it's all good."

"Speaking of Taylor, where is she?" Chad wondered, knowing she should have already surfaced from her last class of the day.

"Oh…she had to go drop something off in Mr. Wilson's class," Gabriella replied, trying to squirm away from Troy's attempts to tickle her. "She should be back any minute."

"Good because I'm ready to get the party started," Troy announced. "We've got the afternoon to play, then Thanksgiving tomorrow, with nothing but senior weekend to look forward to after that."

_Mr. Wilson's Classroom…_

Alone in Mr. Wilson's room, Taylor was right in the middle of writing him a note to leave on his desk, along with her latest revised outline for next year's academic decathlon, when she heard the classroom door open and then close. Looking up from where she sat, she was taken by surprise at the sight of Julian standing there before her. He was staring a hole right through her that Taylor, for the first time, had to admit was anything but friendly. In fact, it gave her the creeps. Maybe there really was something to the warnings of Chad and her friends after all.

"Hi Taylor," Julian said in a voice smooth as silk, breaking the awkward silence between them. "What are you doing in here?"

Although suddenly feeling uncomfortable in his presence, she didn't allow herself to show apprehension. Taylor prayed that Chad didn't come looking for her and find them together.

"I'm leaving a note for Mr. Wilson along with my decathlon notes he asked for a week ago," she replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I came to thank him again for recommending me as the substitute for Mrs. Slatter on this weekend's senior trip," Julian said slowly coming toward her, his smile appearing more sinister the closer he got.

"Yeah, I heard about that," Taylor admitted, instinctively reaching for her bag in case she needed to make a run for it.

"I'm sure you have since one of your best friends, Sharpay, was sitting right there in Principal Matthews' office when I came in to thank him for making me feel so welcome by the invitation."

"What I want to know is why you accepted? I mean…I can't really see you enjoying yourself hanging out all weekend with a bunch of high school kids when you've got college friends to spend time with doing more adult type things," Taylor pondered, moving from around the desk until they were standing only a few feet apart.

At first she had been a little unnerved being alone with him like this with no one else around but, as he continued to wear that overly confident smirk on his face almost as if he were taunting her in some way or worse, indirectly Chad, was starting to piss her off.

"Well I must like being around high school kids at least a little seeing as how I'm a teaching assistant at a high school Taylor," he teased, but there was nothing playful in his tone. "Although I can't deny there are some high school kids I enjoy spending time with more than others."

"Then I'll wish you a good time right now, since you likely won't be seeing much of me the entire weekend. I hope you enjoy the time you spend with whatever seniors you like being around, as well as the other chaperones," Taylor informed him as she moved to take her leave.

Julian stepped to the side, blocking her path. He reached out a hand and tucked a lock of hair that had fallen across her cheek back behind her ear. She recoiled at his touch.

"Please don't put your hands on me."

"Why?" Julian taunted his smile more evil than the second before. "Because your precious Chad wouldn't approve? Because he's the only boy you want touching you, although a real man is what you need?"

"That's right. Chad is now and always will be the only one I want laying a hand on me."

Julian shook his head and laughed. "Taylor, Taylor, Taylor. What am I going to do with you?"

"Not a damn thing," she snapped. "So don't even try."

"And here I thought you were a smart girl. It's one of the reasons I like you so much. When will you wise up and use that intelligence you're so well known for and get rid of that loser Danforth?"

"I love Chad. He's my best friend. My life wouldn't be half of what it is without him apart of it," she defended passionately.

"You keep telling yourself that and maybe one day you'll believe it. But deep down you and I both know that you need someone who can treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Like I said…a real man who knows how to handle you," Julian stated matter of fact.

"Chad knows how to handle me just fine thank you very much."

"Oh does he now?"

"Yes he does."

"But can he give you something…like…say this?"

And before Taylor knew what was happening, Julian had taken her into his arms and began kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

The minute he touched her she began to fight him with everything she had, but his grip was too strong and demanding. Her brain was screaming a thousand no's for every second his lips remained pressed against her own. When he finally released her, Julian stepped back with a smile watching her reaction with twisted pleasure. With the exception of only one, Angelina, no other girl had ever been able to resist his charms.

"So, tell me again how Chad's the only one for you?" He asked arrogantly, as he savored the taste of her kiss.

Taylor was trembling with so much fury she was speechless, but that didn't stop her from reaching out a hand and slapping Julian so hard he stumbled a few feet backwards, hitting a desk.

"You bastard!" she raged when she'd regained her ability to speak again. "If you so much as ever look in my direction again I will…"

The classroom door flew open and in walked little Kelsi, her demeanor cheerful but her eyes dark with concern. She'd been passing by when she just so happened to look through the classroom window, and saw Mr. Wilson's teaching assistant manhandling her friend.

"Hey Taylor. There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. Did you forget about our plans this afternoon?"

"Kel?" Taylor said almost as if she were in a daze.

"Yeah silly. Hurry up or we're gonna be late," the petite girl replied, doing everything she could to get her friend out of an obviously bad situation.

Julian knew it was time for him to go.

"I think I'll leave you two ladies to your business," he said, slowly edging toward the doorway, his eyes still fixed on Taylor's enraged face. "Hope the both of you have a good Thanksgiving with your families. Oh…and Taylor?"

"What?" She snarled as Kelsi came to stand by her side.

"Looking forward to this weekend and seeing you on the senior trip," Julian finished, licking his lips with a gleam in his eyes that made her want to puke.

"Don't bet on it!" Taylor spat, as she watched that sinister smirk float out the door like it didn't have a care in the world.

"Are you okay?" Kelsi asked turning to her friend the minute Julian was gone, real fear in her eyes. "Did he hurt you?"

Taylor shook her head. "No Kel he didn't hurt me. He just made me wake up to what an idiot I've been and how I should have listened to everyone when they tried to tell me what he was really all about. Thank you so much for coming in the way you did to rescue me."

Kelsi smiled. "What are friends for? I wonder what Chad's gonna do to that guy when he finds out what he tried to pull with you?"

Suddenly Taylor panicked. "Chad can't know anything about this Kelsi. Promise me that you won't say a word about this to anyone."

"But why? That creep attacked you for God's sake. Somebody should know what he did."

"No. If Chad finds out what happened he's gonna try to kill Julian, and I mean that literally. And if my folks find out because I said anything to Principal Matthews, they'll keep me from going on senior weekend."

"So you're just gonna let that pig get away with what he pulled?" Kelsi said in shocked disbelief. "That's not right Tay and you know it. Especially since this guy is supposed to be one of the chaperones for the senior class this weekend. I'm afraid if we don't tell someone something, he may try to go after you again."

Taylor grabbed her friend's hands with pleading in her eyes. "I know it sounds crazy and wrong but you have to have my back on this one Kel. Nobody can know about me and Julian and what went down here. Too much is at stake not just for me but for Chad too. Please, please promise that this will just be our little secret, at least for now."

Kelsi was torn and didn't know what to do. She'd seen the way Julian's hands had been all over Taylor and the way she'd tried to resist him. Who knew what would have happened had she not come in to stop it. But on the other hand she understood why Taylor was being so apprehensive, especially when it came to Chad. Kelsi had no doubt in her mind that he would do as his girlfriend said and try and half kill Julian no matter the consequences.

"So...will you keep my secret?" Taylor asked again.

"I promise," Kelsi replied, doing the only thing she felt she could for her friend in that moment which was to give her a hug and pray that she wasn't making a mistake by keeping quiet.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

It took Taylor a few moments to regain her composure after the foul incident with Julian. Once she felt like herself again, she gathered up her things and she and Kelsi left Mr. Wilson's classroom on their way to meet Gabriella at her locker.

As the two girls came around the corner, Taylor could see all of her friends were assembled, obviously waiting for her to arrive. She gave Kelsi another silent "don't tell" look as they walked toward the group, then turned all her focus on Chad who was watching her in the distance with a smile.

"There you two are. It's about time you showed up," Sharpay chastised, holding Zeke's hand, Ryan standing next to them. "We were about to send out an APB on you."

"Yeah Tay, we were starting to worry you were taking so long," Gabriella said, Troy's arm slung across her shoulders.

"I'm sorry you guys," Taylor apologized. "I didn't mean to keep you all waiting so long. My little errand took longer than I thought."

She glanced over at Kelsi who said not a word as she went over to where Ryan stood and silently mouthed the word "hi" to him.

"Don't worry about it baby," Chad comforted, going to Taylor and giving her a kiss. "We really haven't been waiting all that long."

"Yes we have," Sharpay stated flippantly. "We should have been out of here 10 minutes ago."

"What's your hurry babe?" Zeke asked.

"Yeah sis, where's the fire?" added Ryan, who was now holding Kelsi's hand in his.

Sharpay sighed and did her infamous diva eyeroll they were all so accustomed to.

"Listen up people. In case any of you hot shots and braniacs didn't get the memo, school let out at noon today signaling the start of not only the Thanksgiving holiday, but the official countdown to senior weekend 2007. That means we need to snatch our freedom while we can and run from this place."

"Chill Shar, it's so not that serious," Troy said, having already experienced one of her lectures one-on-one earlier that morning. "All that matters is that the gang's all here now and ready to party."

"Whoo Hoo!!!!" the group shouted, followed by applause.

"So the only question now is what do we want to do with our free afternoon?" Gabriella asked as she looked around at the faces of her friends for an answer.

"I have an idea Brie," Ryan spoke up, smiling over at Kelsi who couldn't keep herself from blushing if she tried. "Why don't we go hang out at the roller rink since we haven't been there in a while?"

"That's a great idea man," Zeke said. "The rink is definitely the best place in town to get a homemade parmesean and garlic pretzel."

"Oh please Chef Boy-R-Dee would you give it a rest," Sharpay snapped. "You know perfectly well I can't do the rink unless I have my very own skates with me which, if you notice, I do not."

"Dang Sharpay, do you have to be so brutal?" Chad asked, wishing just once Zeke would get the stars out of his eyes and put his girl in check for her own good.

"Yeah Shar, there's no need to get so snippy. Zeke's right...the rink does have the best pretzel's in town," Gabriella agreed, giving Zeke a sympathetic smile.

"Fine. If that's the majority vote so be it. I'll just pass on the skating and use that time to finish up some more last minute details for the trip," Sharpay pouted.

"Good lord woman, how many last minute details can there still be?" Troy asked, totally exasperated. "As far as I can tell the only thing left for you to do is come home with all of us and pack our bags."

Everyone but Sharpay started laughing.

"Look, can we cut all this chatter and just get going already?" Chad suggested. "The whole day will be lost if we keep standing here arguing about what to do."

"I agree," Gabriella said, taking Troy's hand as she started to walk away.

"So the rink it is then?" Ryan asked, pulling Kelsi along to fall in line behind Brie's lead.

"The rink it is and homemade pretzels too," Zeke chimed in tugging at a reluctant Sharpay's hand.

Chad and Taylor followed up the rear behind their friends arm-in-arm. He noticed that she seemed strangely quiet and wondered if something was wrong.

"Everything okay baby?" Chad asked in a low voice so the others wouldn't hear. "You look like something is bothering you."

"No...no...everything's fine. I'm good," Taylor said, trying her best to hide the lingering upset she still felt over Julian's behavior.

"You sure? Maybe you're a little worried that our hanging out like this goes against our last day of probabtion," Chad offered.

"Not at all," Taylor assured, forcing a smile she wasn't all together feeling. "My folks think I'm going to be out doing some last minute shopping with the girls so they don't suspect a thing."

"Well that's good to hear," Chad said with a smile as he watched the three couples just ahead of them start to make their way outside the doors of the main entrance. "Only one more day to go and we can put all this madness behind us and spend as much time together as we want."

Hearing the happiness in his voice nearly broke Taylor's heart. She would give anything to share what had happened to her with him, but to do so would create a level of chaos she didn't even want to think about. Just the thought of what he'd do to Julian if he ever found out what he pulled filled her with dread. She would just have to keep her mouth shut and hope Kelsi did the same as she had vowed not to let anyone or anything ruin things for them this weekend.

Taylor suddenly stopped in her tracks just short of them walking out to meet up with their friends. She slowly turned to Chad who was trying to figure out what was up. Then Taylor placed her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss that left him near breathless.

"Wow!" Chad said grinning like a fool. "What was that for Tay?"

Her eyes were tinged with sadness. Her voice came out soft and low.

"I love you Chad Danforth more than you will ever know," she said.

"I love you too Taylor. You're the only girl I want to be with. It's you and me against the world."

His words made her hug him tightly and sigh.

"Hey...are you sure everything's okay?" Chad asked again, sensing that she was maybe holding something back after all.

"Everythings fine. I promise," Taylor replied, feeling so much better after a few seconds in his embrace. The smile she gave him this time was genuine and from the heart, all thoughts of Julian put away.

She took his hand and started tugging him through the door as he laughed. "Come on, it's time to go play."

_Several Hours Later..._

Ryan's idea to hang out at the roller rink for the afternoon ended up going over like gold. Everyone, including Sharapy, had a great time. A lot of the other East High students were also in the house, lending even more vibe to the party-like atmosphere.

After they'd worked up an appetite skating around the rink hard and fast, the gang all chowed down on burritos, burgers, pizza and pretzels. Everyone's mood was light and happy as they all relished their freedom from books and classes for the next several days in anticipation of their long awaited getaway.

At around 4:00 p.m., Sharpay announced that she had to go home, as she needed to find something to wear for Thanksgiving dinner which, for the Evans family, consisted of flying out to San Francisco for the day to spend time with a rich great-aunt. Ryan and Kelsi, who'd been making eyes at each other all afternoon, said their good-byes and wished one another a Happy Thanksgiving before he left with Sharpay and Zeke.

The remaining five of their group remained at the rink for another hour or so, before both Troy and Chad had to leave, as did Gabriella, Taylor and Kelsi, who were all going to Taylor's house for a sleepover. Kelsi was going home the next morning, but the McKessie's had invited Brie and her mom to spend Thanksgiving at their house, giving the best girlfriends plenty of extra quality time together leading up to the trip.

Since their probation officially ended the following day, Chad promised to call Taylor, something he hadn't been able to do in weeks, the first chance he got as Troy did the same with Gabriella. Then they all left the rink together, parting ways out front, sweet kisses shared between the two couples with Kelsi looking on with a smile.

_The McKessie House, 9:00 p.m._

The girls were up in Taylor's room listening to music, doing their nails, and giving each other facials when Glenda McKessie came to check on them for the night.

"Well it looks like you three are having a good time," Taylor's mother said, walking in on what looked to be teen girl heaven. "It's a wonder if you all still have any energy left to enjoy your senior trip this weekend."

"Oh no worries there Mrs. M," Gabriella said, her face covered in a green tea masque. "Nothing's gonna keep us from going all out come Friday."

"Yeah mom, we've got it all under control," Taylor said, handing Kelsi a bottle of clear nail polish to coat her toes with.

Glenda McKessie laughed. "Just make sure you get some sleep tonight okay? You ladies have very busy schedules for the next couple of days and believe it or not you will need your rest."

"Thanks mom. We've got it covered," Taylor assured, winking at Gabriella. "Tell daddy I said good night."

"I will. Good night Brie and Kelsi," Glenda said.

"Good night Mrs. McKessie," both girls responded in kind. "Sleep well."

"You too."

After the door closed, they all started laughing.

"Your mom is so nice Taylor," Kelsi said wiggling her toes to help the polish she'd applied dry faster.

"Yeah, Mrs. M is the best," Gabriella agreed, touching her face to see if her masque was ready to be washed off.

"I agree," Taylor acknowledged. "Except of course when she and my father are laying down the law and keeping Chad and I apart for weeks on end."

"Oh come on," Gabriella teased. "You did still get to see each other every day at school. And from what I recall you two seemed to work wonders before, in between, and after class."

"Be quiet Montez," Taylor laughed. "You know it's not the same thing."

"Maybe not, but you definitely found a way to work it girl. My hat's off to you."

"Oooh...speaking of hats," Taylor said jumping up from where she'd been sitting on the floor. "I need to go check with my mom for a second about this one hat of hers I'm hoping she'll lend me for the trip."

"Okay, you know where we'll be," Gabriella said, as she and Kelsi watched their friend leave the room.

Once Taylor was gone Gabriella pounced.

"Okay Kelsi spill. What's going on with Tay?"

Kelsi looked like she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Wha...wha...what are you talking about Brie?"

"Don't even try to play innocent with me Kel," Gabriella said knowingly. "Taylor seems fine and all now, but I know something happened earlier before you two came to meet up at my locker. It was a strange look in her eyes that tipped me off. Yours too as a matter of fact. Like you were keeping a secret. I think Chad sensed it as well."

"Loo...look Brie," Kelsi began to stammer. "Taylor made me promise not to say a word so I can't."

"You can and you will Kel. Tay is my best friend and if she's in trouble I need to know so I can help her if I can."

"But you just said yourself that she's fine. We all had a great day together. Why not leave it at that?"

"Because, like I said, she's my best friend. And also my gut is telling me that whatever happened must have something to do with Julian."

Kelsi's jaw nearly fell to the floor. Her reaction was all that was needed for the inquisition to continue.

"Spill it Kel and make it fast before Taylor comes back."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

_Thanksgiving - 24 Hours To Senior Weekend_

_The Danforth House, 8:15 a.m._

" Chad ! Chad ! Wake-up! Wake-up!" six-year-old Corrine Danforth sing-songed, skipping into her older brother's room and bouncing onto his bed where he lay hidden beneath a mound of covers. "Mommy said it's time to get up!"

"Huh…what?" Chad mumbled appearing from under his blankets, eyes barely open.

Scooting closer toward him, his baby sister threw her arm around his neck, and gave him the sweetest kiss on the cheek, big brown eyes gazing up at him with a heart full of love. They favored each other a lot with even their hair color and texture the same, the only difference being that her light brown curls tumbled just past her shoulders, framing her face in little tendrils.

"Morning Chad ," she said with a sunny smile, revealing the absence of her two front teeth. "Mommy sent me upstairs to bring you down for breakfast."

"Breakfast?" he groaned. "You're joking right? It's way too early for breakfast."

"No it's not," Corrine said shaking her head. "My teacher said it's the most impor'int meal of the day."

Chad tried not to laugh at his sister being unable to say the word 'important' but couldn't help himself.

"Is that right cupcake?" He asked smiling at her precociousness as he gave her a big hug. "Well you're teacher is right. It's what my teacher used to tell me when I was in kindergarten too."

"I know," Corrine said in her best grown-up voice. "That's why you have to get up now."

"Okay, okay," Chad said with a yawn. "I suppose the rush to feed us so early is so we'll be out of her way since today is Thanksgiving and the kitchen will soon be off limits."

His sister nodded, now sitting cozily in his lap. "Yep. Mommy said we've got a busy day ahead. Said we're gonna have a lot of people over and she's got to stay orgnized and on schedule."

"That's organized silly," Chad laughed, tweaking Corrine's nose, causing her to giggle. "And what's this about a lot of people? We're only having Troy and his parents over later. That's not a lot."

"Oh no Chad …the Leos are coming over too. I heard mommy on the phone with Mrs. Leo a few minutes ago?"

"The Leos?" he said totally confused. "Who are the Leos?"

Then the reality of what she was saying hit him.

"Baby, do you mean the DeLeons?" Chad asked with a look of near panic in his eyes.

Corrine nodded, playing with one of his curls that matched her own. "Yep. The Leos."

Before the little girl knew it, her beautiful big brother had scooped her up out of bed with him and put her down on the floor as he started rushing around the room like his hair was on fire. Once he'd found what he was looking for, a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, he grabbed her hand and the both of them raced downstairs to the kitchen.

Lisa Danforth was standing at the counter cracking eggs into a bowl. She was taken by complete surprise at the explosive way her children entered the room.

"What's all this?" She asked with a smile, starting to smoothly beat the eggs with a fork. "I know I said breakfast was almost ready but you still have a few to go."

Chad looked at his mother like she was a complete stranger to him. Picking up on the tension around her, Corrine wandered off to watch cartoons in the family room.

"Is it true mom?" He asked after his sister had left, his voice sounding like someone else's it was so full of disbelief.

"Is what true sweetie?" Lisa asked, still not realizing that her son was not a happy camper. She finished beating the eggs and then poured the mixture into a lightly buttered skillet waiting on the stove.

"That you invited the DeLeon family over for Thanksgiving dinner?" Chad asked, knowing that he had to actually hear the words come out of her own mouth before he allowed himself to believe it was true.

His mother paused for a moment, her radar finally picking up that something was wrong. She looked up from the skillet of eggs she'd been fussing over, and saw the expression of shock registered all over her son's handsome face.

"Why yes honey," Lisa answered, not quite sure what she'd done to have her son look at her the way that he was in that moment. "I invited them over. Their going to be our guests this evening along with Troy and his parents."

Chad looked like someone had just slapped him silly.

_At The McKessie House..._

When Gabriella finally awoke, stretching out her arms and legs like a contented feline, much to her surprise she found that Taylor was nowhere in sight.

Running a lazy hand through her hair, she scanned the room still sleepy-eyed until her focus came to rest on her other friend who stood wistfully at the window looking down at the street below.

"Morning Kel," Gabriella said, stifling a yawn as she threw back the covers. "Where's Taylor ?"

"She's downstairs with her mom," Kelsi replied, letting the parted curtain she'd been staring through drop. "I think their getting started on Thanksgiving dinner."

"Oh! That's right...it is Thanksgiving isn't it?" Gabriella giggled, realizing that there was only one day left standing between herself, her friends, and senior weekend.

Kelsi gave her a weak smile as she walked over to Taylor 's now empty bed and sat down with a sigh. It was just then that Gabriella, now fully awake, noticed her somber mood.

"Hey Kel you okay? You don't look so good."

Kelsi shook her head, the faintest hint of exhaustion around her normally perky eyes. "No Brie I'm not okay. I barely slept all night worrying that I had betrayed Taylor 's trust by telling you what happened between her and Julian."

"Awwww Kel," Gabriella soothed, coming to sit by her friend's side. "You haven't betrayed anything or anyone, especially not Taylor."

"Oh really? You think Taylor would see it that way if she knew I broke my promise to her?" Kelsi asked a little defiantly.

"Actually I do. I know with near certainty that if the secret you told had been to her instead of me, she'd have done everything short of putting you into a headlock until you confessed," Gabriella said, trying to bring her friend around.

Kelsi laughed. "You know you could be right."

"Of course I am which is why you can't let what you did bother you so. It was only done to help a mutual friend and at my insistence I might add."

"Yeah, but what if Taylor can't forgive me or worse, never trusts me again with another secret?" Kelsi worried. "I mean I know we aren't as close as you and she, but I like having her as my friend and I don't want to lose that behind one mistake."

"You won't. Trust me," Gabriella reassured firmly. " Taylor might be a little upset at first, but that will definitely pass. She's not one to hold a grudge or stop being someone's friend simply because they tried to help her. The important thing is that now someone else besides you two knows exactly what kind of a creep Julian Blanchard truly is, although both Chad and I suspected it long before yesterday."

"He's disgusting," Kelsi agreed, starting to feel a little better. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him through that window pawing at Taylor , his lips all over her."

"I can only imagine how awful it was," Gabriella stated, shivering at the thought. "Just thinking about it makes me sick."

"What makes you sick?" came Taylor 's unexpected voice from the bedroom doorway.

Both Kelsi and Gabriella turned around on the bed to stare awkwardly at their friend who was standing there waiting for an answer.

"Hey...hey... Tay we didn't hear you come in," her best friend stammered, trying not to sound as busted as she felt. "Where you been?"

Taylor walked across the room, flopping down in her favorite chair. "I was helping my mom get started on dinner. We have this whole little early morning ritual thing that we do every year this time."

"Well all I know is my mom's probably just happy to not only be able to sleep in today, but to have the house to herself for a while," Gabriella laughed, hoping Taylor was distracted from an answer to her question.

She wasn't.

"So what were you two talking about when I came in? Words to the effect of something making you sick?"

"Oh...oh...that," Kelsi fumbled, looking nervously in Gabriella's direction. "We were just saying how..."

"...how the way Sharpay's been acting lately is making us sick," Gabriella finished jumping in with a save. "She's gone totally overboard with this whole senior weekend thing and it is not pretty."

"Well you'll get no argument there from me," Taylor agreed. "But I think we should cut her some slack. Granted Shar has the ability to work even our last nerve's nerve, but the girl deserves major credit and a lot of thanks for all the hard work she's put in on this. I have no doubt we're gonna have a blast this weekend, and it will all pretty much be because of her."

"You're right Tay ," Gabriella said, relieved at dodging the bullet. She had every intention of getting things out in the open where Julian was concerned, but now was not the time.

Just then they heard two sharp blasts of a car horn.

Leaning back in her chair, Taylor looked out her bedroom window and saw Kelsi's mom waving up at her. She waved back.

"Your rides here Kel," Taylor announced with a smile. "Your mom seems like she's fired up and ready to go."

"She probably is," Kelsi stated, getting off the bed and gathering up her things. "We have to go the airport and pick up not only my brother, but my grandparents and uncle as well."

"Sounds like you guys are gonna have a full house today," Gabriella mused, handing Kelsi her cell phone which was sitting on Taylor 's nightstand.

The horn honked again.

"Well guys it was fun. See you both bright and early tomorrow morning," Kelsi said slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Come on, I'll walk you out," Taylor said getting up from her seat. "I'll be right back Brie."

"Okay. Bye Kel."

"Bye Brie. Oh...and Happy Thanksgiving."

"You too," Gabriella said giving her friend a wink and a thumbs up.

After they left Gabriella went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Downstairs at the front door, Kelsi was saying good-bye to Taylor 's mom.

"Thanks for everything Mrs. McKessie. I had a great time."

"You're very welcome Kelsi. I hope you and your family have a lovely day," Glenda said, using a dish towel to wipe traces of flour from her hands. "Tell your mother I said hello."

"I will," Kelsi nodded, as she turned to Taylor .

"So I guess I'll see you in the AM?"

"Absolutely. Call me later okay?"

"Okay. See ya."

"See ya."

Kelsi walked outside and waved to her mom. Halfway down the stairs she turned back to where Taylor still was standing in the doorway.

"Hey Tay ," she called.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Taylor asked looking confused.

Kelsi just shook her head not saying another word and continued on to the car, leaving her friend to wonder what she talking about.

A minute later, Taylor re-entered her room to find Gabriella zipping herself up into a pair of loose fitting jeans.

"Kelsi gone?" she asked, now starting to catch her hair up in a ponytail.

"Yeah," Taylor mumbled distractedly. "She's gone…acting kind of funny too."

"Really, how so?"

"Well right before she left, she told me she was sorry. The weird thing though was that she didn't say what she was sorry for."

Gabriella finished securing the rubber band in her hair and looked at her best friend realizing it was time for them to have their talk.

"I know why Kelsi did that Tay ," her best friend confessed.

"You do?"

Gabriella nodded her head. "She was apologizing for having told me your secret about Julian."

_Chad_

After his mother had lowered the boom, Chad was too angry to even look at her so he went back up to his room and raged in private.

Here it was the day before senior weekend and he was being forced to sit at a table across from none other than Marissa DeLeon. Someone had it out for him he was sure.

Throwing himself on the bed, steam practically coming out of his ears, Chad tried to think of someway to get out of the dinner deal but knew in his heart it was hopeless. This was Thanksgiving after all, a day that you were supposed to look forward to spending with your loved ones, only in his case he was going to have to spend time with the female version of Satan as well.

Sighing, he sat upright and tried to work out his next move.

Then something dawned on him. If he was going to be saddled with having to make nice with Marissa all evening, that meant that Troy was in the same boat with Angelina. Wouldn't Gabriella just have a cow when she heard that bit of news? Troy had barely escaped his girl's wrath the last time he encountered Marissa's older sister and that was from a five minute exchange. Chad didn't even want to think about what Gabriella would do if she found out his boy was yucking it up with the "goddess" over a turkey drum stick and pumpkin pie.

"Man this sucks!" Chad groaned, wishing like hell Taylor was there to make things all right. Just to see her face and hear her voice would go a long way in making him feel better.

After a while he was finally able to calm down enough to go take a shower and clear his head. As far as he was concerned, senior weekend couldn't get her fast enough for him so all this craziness could be put behind him.

_Taylor_

"So when did Kelsi tell you? Yesterday? This morning?" Taylor asked closing the door to her room so their conversation wasn't overheard, least of all by her parents.

"Last night," Gabriella stated, now sitting down in the chair by the window that Taylor had occupied before. "And she only did it because I pressured her too so before you start thinking that Kel is not really your friend because she spilled, don't."

Taylor was quiet for several minutes as she dealt with the fact that her attempts to keep the Julian issue private was now anything but. How long before Chad found out the truth worried her now more than ever.

As if sensing her friend's dilemma, Gabriella attempted to ease her mind.

"I promise I won't say anything to Chad about this, at least for now anyway."

Taylor's sigh of relief filled the room. "Thanks Brie. It scares me to think of what he might do if he ever found out."

"I get what you're saying, but you're not out of the woods completely Taylor McKessie because you still have me to deal with," Gabriella stated.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means that I'm your best friend and you should have told me what happened first, especially if you weren't going to tell Chad."

"I'm sorry Brie I just couldn't," Taylor apologized. "Knowing how you already felt about Julian, the way you've been warning me all along. I was afraid that if I said anything to anyone there would be major trouble and likely cost us all our senior weekend in some way."

Gabriella took a moment to reflect on her friend's explanation and concluded that she was right.

"I get why you didn't say anything Tay, I do, but don't think for one minute that because I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag right away that this is a dead issue. It's not. Julian is a menace and come Monday morning Principal Matthews is gonna know about it. I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate that he is going to be on our trip this weekend after what he pulled with you."

"I know," Taylor sighed. "But in spite of what happened I still feel as if I'll be okay and safe enough with you, Chad, Troy and the others there, not to mention faulty members and the other chaperones. Julian wouldn't dare try anything with so many people around ready to go after him."

"Well he had the arrogance to attack you in a public classroom where he could easily have been caught and was, thanks to Kelsi, and he didn't care," Gabriella pointed out. "Seems to me a person who can do that is capable of anything, even if you are surrounded by everyone who loves and wants to protect you. Just promise me you are going to do whatever it takes to stay away from Julian the entire weekend no matter what. Do not allow yourself to be alone with him at any time or anywhere."

"That's a promise I intend to keep," Taylor vowed.

_Chad and Troy_

"Please tell me you're joking?" Troy said, after hearing Chad tell him that they would be sharing Thanksgiving with the DeLeon sisters when he arrived at the Danforth house an hour or so before his parents.

"Man you don't know how badly I wish I could but I can't. I'm so furious with my mom right now I can't see straight," Chad complained. "To spring something like this on me at the last minute is just so…so…"

"You?" Troy said in surprise. "What about me? Taylor won't think twice about Marissa being here. Oh sure, she probably won't like it, but if Brie finds out that Angelina was part of the bargain too, I might as well be a dead man walking."

"Yeah, I thought about that," Chad admitted, feeling his friend's pain. "But you said everything was cool between you two concerning that issue so it really shouldn't be a problem. Right?"

"Of course there's no problem," Troy said quickly to squash any doubts in his friend's mind. "But after the way we fought over Angelina the last time, let's just say I'm not looking to take any chances of going down that road again, no matter how innocent or unexpected the situation."

"I know what you mean. Girls can say they're cool about stuff like that and then are off somewhere secretly plotting your murder," Chad noted, remembering how Marissa had once upon a time claimed she was okay with them just being friends after their break up two years ago but was still causing trouble in his life where she could to this day.

"I'm telling you buddy, we need to really be careful about how we handle ourselves tonight. One wrong move and we could both end up in the doghouse, me moreso than you."

"Well all I know is that I'm gonna be breaking the speed eating record so I can get away from that table and Marissa as quickly as possible," Chad vowed.

"And do what afterwards?" Troy wondered, laughing at the look of determination on his friend's face.

"I don't know yet exactly," Chad admitted. "But if my mom thinks I gonna sit around all night making nice with Marissa she better think again."

_**The end of part one of the Thanksgiving chapter. Part 2 coming up and then on to Senior Weekend.**_


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

_The Danforth House, 3:00 p.m._

As Chad stood in the mirror adjusting his tie, dreading the minutes ticking by that would bring the DeLeon's to his family's door, all he could do was think about Taylor. How much he loved and missed her. How they still hadn't spoken all day even though he'd tried her cellphone no less than 10 times, at least five in the last half hour alone. How he would have given anything to have had she and Gabriella be the ones spending Thanksgiving with he and Troy.

Sighing at his reflection, Chad turned to his best friend sitting at the foot of his bed flipping through the current issue of _Sports Illustrated_.

"How do I look?" he asked, not really caring what the response would be.

Troy's blue eyes peeked over the top of the magazine to give Chad the once over. He let out a low whistle.

"Looking good man. You better hope Marissa doesn't try to snatch you into a closet and have her way with you."

Chad was not amused. "Very funny. If my mom hadn't insisted we dress up for dinner I'd be wearing sweats and a tee right about now."

"I hear ya," Troy agreed, putting the magazine aside and standing up. "So how long do you think it'll be before the DeLeon's arrive cuz I'm starving?"

"Soon I guess," Chad replied, his voice emotionless. "I just want this to all be over and done with. Tomorrow can't come quick enough for me."

"Yep, Troy nodded, going over to the mirror to stand by his friend and check on his own tie. "Three days and two nights to hang out with our friends, especially our girls, so works for me. I have a feeling this is gonna be the best senior weekend in the history of East High."

For the first time that afternoon Chad actually smiled.

"From your lips to the party gods' ears buddy."

Troy laughed. "Well this weekend we are the party gods dude and we have to do whatever it takes to see that we and our girls have the time of our lives."

"Oh don't worry about that because I plan on us becoming class legends by the time we're through getting our party on," Chad promised with a sly smile.

"You lead I'll follow," Troy laughed, glad to see his friend's mood slowly coming around.

Just then they heard the front door bell ring and their senior weekend fantasy moment came to a halt.

"Chad. Honey. Could you and Troy please come down and answer the door for our guests," came the sound of Lisa Danforth's voice from the bottom of the stairs.

The two friends looked at each other with Chad rolling his eyes. 

"Man! Is my mom pushing it or what? First she invites the unwanted and her folks, now she's got me playing doorman. Can this day be over with like now?" He grumbled, reaching for the jacket to his suit that had been hanging the back of a chair.

"Just breathe man and try to stay calm," Troy offered in support, patting his best friend on the back. "This is just a tiny blip on the radar. Only a few more hours and you and I are free men with a senior weekend to remember at our fingertips."

"Yeah, yeah," Chad said buttoning his jacket. "You better keep reminding of that during dinner, especially when it looks like I'm about to take Marissa out with a drumstick to the head."

They both laughed as they heard the doorbell ring for a second time.

"Chad! Would you get down here now!" Lisa Danforth impatiently shouted.

"We're coming mom!" He shouted back, still annoyed that in trying to save face with one of her friends she was putting him through hell.

As Chad and Troy left Chad's room and came down the stairs, both could hear the sounds of hearty laughter coming from the dining room. Jack Bolton was in the middle of telling a story that had everyone cracking up. Corrine suddenly appeared from out of the living room, looking precious in a pink and white dress, her lovely curls tied back with matching ribbon.

"Mommy said for you to get the door," she ordered in a rather bossy tone as she smiled up at Troy with big bright eyes.

"I heard," Chad said sticking his tongue out at her.

"Then hurry up," his little sister sassed, sticking out her own tongue before skipping off.

He and Troy exchanged another one of their looks.

"Here we go," Chad sighed, placing a doomed hand on the knob just as the bell rang for a third time.

What greeted them both on the other side of the door was a total shock to the system that neither one could have imagined.

Standing there on the Danforth's front porch were their girlfriends, smiling at them like a beautiful unreal vision. Both looked beyond amazing. Taylor was dressed in a reddish gold wrap dress that hugged every curve she owned, her hair piled up on her head with wispy curls hanging down around her face, while Gabriella looked stunning in a pale blue tunic mini-dress that showed off her legs to perfection, hair slicked back into a sophisticated bun.

"Surprise!" the girls sang out as they both rushed through the door and into the stunned arms of their speechless boyfriends. "Happy Thanksgiving!"

It only took Chad and Troy a few seconds to realize they weren't dreaming before they happily responded to the miracle before them with joyful shouts, hugs and kisses.

"What are you doing here?" Chad asked staring at Taylor like she was his everything, just as Troy was doing the same with Gabriella. "I thought you guys were having Thanksgiving at your house?"

"We did too but then my mom told us about the plans to have a collaborative dinner here with your family instead," Taylor replied with smiling eyes. "Seems it was in the works for over a week now."

"You mean this was my mom's idea?" Chad asked in surprise, starting to feel guilty that he'd been so hard on her most of the day.

Gabriella nodded wrapped in Troy's embrace. "Yep. She wanted to keep it a secret until the very last minute which is why neither of us called you guys back today to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving."

"I was wondering what was up with that," Troy said, the grin on his face a mile wide.

"Me too," Chad chimed in, still unable to believe that the one person he needed to see more than anyone else that day was at that very moment tucked in his arms where she belonged. "I tried calling you at least..."

"...10 times?" Taylor laughed, kissing his cheek sweetly. "Believe me when I say it took everything in me not to pick up or call back. But like Brie said, we were told not to have any contact with either of you so the surprise wouldn't be spoiled."

"Well this is definitely the best Thanksgiving I've ever had," Troy cheesed, as he leaned over to give his best friend a hi-five.

"You know it!" Chad agreed.

Just then the rest of the McKessie family along with Gabriella's mother and a well dressed gentleman came strolling up the walkway.

"Hey Brie, whose that?" Troy asked pointing at the silver haired man holding her mother's hand.

"Oh that's Vincent Santiago. He and my mom work together. Don't they make a cute couple?" Gabriella said, happy that her mom had finally started dating again.

"Yeah they do, but not nearly as cute as you and me," Troy replied with a laugh.

"Or me and Taylor," Chad piped in, his arm now lovingly wrapped around his girl's waist.

Lisa Danforth and Lucy Bolton suddenly appeared from the dining room, smiling at the happy foursome standing in the hallway.

"Well hello ladies," Chad's mom said, a pleased smile upon her face. "I'm so happy you finally made it."

"Yes, we were wondering when you'd get here so these two could find their smiles again," Lucy added looking in her son's direction.

"Well thank you for inviting us Mrs. Danforth. We're all very happy to be here," was Taylor's heartfelt reply. "It really means a lot that you included us in your day."

"I'm just happy we could all be together, especially since tomorrow the four of you will be off on your senior adventure," Lisa replied, ever the gracious hostess.

She waved to Glenda McKessie who, along with her husband and two other children were walking up to the front door along with Carla Montez and her date.

"Hi Lisa. Hi Lucy," Glenda waved back.

"And where is that wonderful food of yours?" Lisa asked, as the teens moved aside to let the others enter the house. "I know you didn't leave me hanging."

"Of course not sweetie. Everything is still in the car," Glenda replied giving both Lisa and Lucy a hug and kiss. "My doesn't everyone look splendid."

"Yes they do," Carla Montez stated, quickly going to join in on the lovefest of mothers.

"Carla you look wonderful," Lucy Bolton said after they'd hugged hello. "I love that dress."

"So do I," Lisa agreed, giving Gabriella's mother a warm welcoming smile. "And who is this? Vincent?"

The silver-haired gentleman extended his hand to Chad's mother, just as his father and Troy's came out of the dining room to join the commotion.

"Well don't we just have a full house," Lee Danforth said, as he and Jack Bolton exchanged handshakes with Robert McKessie and Vincent. "Glad to have you all."

"Lee, would you please take the men out to the McKessie's car and bring in the food they brought," Lisa Danforth requested, already starting to steer Glenda, Carla and Lucy in the direction of the dining room. "I'll get the women and children settled in here."

"Sure honey," Lee Danforth replied, signaling to Vincent and Robert to give him a hand.

"You want us to help too dad?" Chad asked.

"No that's alright. You and Troy stay here and make sure that Taylor and Gabriella are taken care of."

"Not a problem. We definitely have that covered," Troy joked as his friends laughed.

"Come on ladies, I'll show you where to put your coats and purses," Chad offered, taking Taylor's hand and leading she, Gabriella and Troy in the direction of the downstairs guest room.

Soon thereafter, the Danforth house really came alive with the sounds of music, laughter and chatter as everyone present seemed to be enjoying themselves to no end. Corrine had taken Taylor's brother and sister in hand laying claim to the family room where they were now playing video games just waiting for the call to dinner. The mothers were in the kitchen having a total gabfest as they fussed over the last minute preparation of the food to be served shortly, while the fathers and Vincent were now in the living room, watcing TV and having drinks as the start of the NFL's traditional Thanksgiving day game was just getting underway.

Out in the backyard, Chad, Taylor, Gabriella and Troy were sitting around talking and laughing, the four of them just happy to be together. Lisa Danforth came out a while later to annouce that dinner would be on the table in 15 minutes. Just as she was about to go back into the house, Chad rushed over, grabbing her up in an unexpected hug.

"Thanks so much for doing this mom," he said as they embraced. "I can't tell you how great it is to have Taylor and my friends here to share the holiday with us."

"You're welcome baby," Lisa said hugging her son tightly. "I know things have been rough lately and I just wanted you to know how much I love you."

"I love you too," Chad said kissing her cheek. "You totally knocked me out with this stunt."

"Well that's what mama's do...knock their kids out...sometime it's bad but it can be good too don't you agree," his mother laughed.

"Totally," Chad nodded, his smile filling her heart with happiness.

"Now go back to your friends and have fun," Lisa said, glancing over at the other three who were enjoying the mother-son moment.

"Okay," Chad said in that boyish voice she loved, as he watched her turn and go back into the house.

"Your mom's the best," Troy complimented when Chad walked back to their little group. "She really outdid herself with the whole surprise thing."

"She sure did. Now I wish I hadn't been so mad with her earlier."

"Mad about what baby?" Taylor wondered, her curiosity piqued.

Chad was about to explain himself when he looked over and saw Angelina, Marissa and Julian standing there on the patio observing the four of them in silence.

"What the...the" Taylor stammered under her breath as she looked at Gabriella who was about to catch flies the way her mouth was hanging open at the sight of the last three people in the world she expected to see.

"...hell is Julian doing here?" Chad finished for his girlfriend, his own shock level equal to hers.

"Just play it cool," Troy whispered, trying not to stare at Angelina, while nervous about Gabriella's reaction.

The air was so thick with tension you could cut it with a knife as the two groups stared each other down, not sure what to say or do next. Julian and Marissa seemed to be enjoying the unsettled looks upon the faces of Chad, Taylor and Gabriella by their presence. Angelina on the other hand took her cue from Troy's attempt to not overly react to her under the watchful eye of his girlfriend, as she moved away from her sister and cousin with a smile on her face.

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone," she said crossing the lawn, amused to know in her approach that by the reaction to her family's entrance this night promised to be anything but a bore.

_Ten Minutes Later..._

"I don't think I can do this Brie," Taylor hissed when she and her best friend were finally behind closed doors in the upstairs bathroom away from prying eyes and ears. "I mean... it was all I could do to not become ill the minute I saw Marissa standing there. But Julian too? And how in the hell did none of us know that he was related to Marissa? I swear this is like a nightmare come true."

"I know. I nearly died when we were blindsided with that info courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. DeLeon when saying hello. I mean all this time at school with the both of them and we were all clueless to the fact?" Gabriella said still too stunned herself by the revelation.

"Yep. Not only do we get slapped in the face with the unexpected arrival of two girls who have known history with both Troy and Chad, but now this news of Julian being their cousin. Can somebody please give us a small freaking break here?"

"Tell me about it," Gabriella sympathized sitting down on the edge of the tub. "It was definitely no picnic for me coming face-to-face again with Troy's dream girl. I know he was trying to play it cool, but I'd bet money just looking at her made his palms break out into a sweat."

"Well sweaty palms or not, at least Angelina isn't actively trying to undermine your relationship at every turn the way her sister is mine. God I can't stand that bitch!" Taylor said angrily. "She's probably the one responsible for getting Chad's mom to invite them over in the first place."

"You're probably right, but don't forget that Mrs. Danforth and Mrs. DeLeon are long time friends. Maybe the idea was her own."

"I don't really care whose idea it was," Taylor snapped leaning against the wall. "All I know is that our Thanksgiving surprise for the guys has been ruined by this crap. Now instead of the four of us getting to enjoy each others' company with all of our families together, we now have to sit with people I'd rather run down in my mom's car than pass the potatoes too."

Although there was nothing funny about their situation, Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at that last remark which clearly definied Taylor's now unleashed fury.

"Maybe if we're lucky they won't stay too long after dinner and then we can go back to how it was before they arrived," Gabriella stated with optimism she didn't really feel.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Yeah right Brie. Like Marissa is gonna pass up the chance to hit on Chad over pumpkin pie ala mode? That scheming little witch is gonna be giving him the eye all night, probably trying to cop a feel when she thinks no one is watching or didn't you catch her gloating when she saw the way we reacted when she came out to the backyard?"

"Oh I saw," Gabriella stated. "But she wasn't alone on that front or didn't you see the arrogant look on Julian's face?Finding you here must have just made his night since he already knew that Chad would hate his presence with a vengence. If anyone needs to be watched it's that creep."

"Definitely, but right now he's the least of my concern. He'd be out of his mind to try a repeat of what he pulled yesterday with 6'3, 250 pounds of Robert Anthony McKessie around. My daddy don't play that," Taylor said with total confidence in her tone.

"That's true," Gabriella had to agree. "But I still don't trust that Julian won't at least try once to get under your skin, Chad's or both."

"Well let him try if the thinks he wants to go there because he'll truly be in for a rude awakening and it won't be pretty. Right now all I can do is try my best to keep Chad as distracted as possible from him and his silly little demon of a cousin so that things don't get out of control."

"And I'll do the same with Troy, whom I certainly not about to let spend too much time in Angelina's presence whether there is something going on there or not," Gabriella proposed of her own agenda for the night.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, followed by Chad's voice on the other side as Troy stood behind him

"Tay? Brie? Are you two okay in there?" he practically whispered. "Troy and I need to talk to you."

Gabriella stood up from where sat and opened the door to find their boyfriends standing there looking like two lost little boys, their faces etched with concern.

"We're fine guys," she said moving aside so they could join them in the bathroom. "Taylor and I were just freshening up a bit."

Troy and Chad exchanged looks that said they knew more than that had been going on.

"My mom sent us up here to get you two because dinner is being served in a few minutes," Chad said, walking over to where Taylor was still leaning against the wall.

"Yeah. So if you ladies are done for the moment plotting how to kill me, Chad and half the guests downstairs I say lets get a move on," Troy said hoping to add some levity to craziness.

"Not funny babe," Gabriella said exasperated by his timing as she took his hand and started to leave as they were being instructed to do. "Come on Tay it's show time."

"Can you guys give us a minute here?" Chad spoke up as he put out a hand to gently stop Taylor from going as well.

"Sure buddy, we'll see you downstairs. Come on Brie," Troy said, as he and Gabriella left, closing the door behind them.

After staring at one another for a few seconds in awkward silence, Chad reached up and tenderly caressed Taylor's face.

"Baby, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am about all this. Really sorry. If I had known for one minute that you and Brie were coming to dinner I would have done whatever it took to keep Marissa, Julian and their family away tonight."

Taylor sighed and pulled Chad into her arms. "It's okay. None of this is your fault. Just chalk it up to lousy timing I guess. All we can do now is make the best of a whack situation and try and help each other get through it as painlessly as possible."

"Agreed," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. "We aren't going to let Julian or Marissa ruin dinner for us or our families. Besides, we've got more important things to think about."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Taylor asked allowed a tiny smile to play across her lips.

"Like senior weekend silly. This time tomorrow nothing that happened tonight will matter because we'll be together along with our friends having a blast," Chad said reassuringly.

"Have you forgotten that Julian and Marissa are gonna be on the trip too?"

"I'm trying my best to do just that and so should you. After tonight, I don't want to think about either one of them at all for the entire weekend and if possible beyond even that."

"I love you Chad. I don't know what I'd do without you as my bestfriend," Taylor sighed again, laying her head against his shoulder.

"You won't ever have to find out either because we'll always be best friends and more no matter what happens. And I love you too," he said kissing her forehead. "Now Miss McKessie would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to Thanksgiving dinner?"

"It would be my pleasure Mr. Danforth."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Much to the surprise of Chad, Taylor, Troy and Gabriella, Thanksgiving dinner seemed to be going extremely well.

After everyone was seated, with the little kids at their own table, and grace was said, they all started to pass around the different bowls of food while Chad's father carved up slices of moist juicy turkey nearly falling off the bone.

The atmosphere was energized with goodwill as people ate, drank, laughed and talked. In fact, it was all progressing so smoothly that, for a while, the four friends barely even noticed that either Julian or Marissa were at the table. Of course it helped that both were seated at the opposite end farthest from the tight knit group, much to their disapointment, making it all the more easier to ignore them.

However, it was Angelina who turned out to be the most entertaining of all the guests present. She was animated and quite funny when telling them stories about her time in Europe, which kept everyone laughing throughout most of dinner. At one point Chad, seated next to Taylor as Troy was next to Gabriella, leaned over and whispered in his girlfriend's ear how shocked he was that Angelina was such a riot, to which Taylor nodded in agreement. She had to admit that Angelina was far better company than her little sister and cousin, who had been throwing daggers with their eyes down the length of the table at her and Chad most of the night although no one but Taylor was really paying attention.

When they'd gotten through dinner without a single mishap, Lisa suggested that they all take a pause from eating, get up, take some air or stretch before desert was served. Everyone agreed and slowly made their way from the table, compliments galore for the wonderful job that both Lisa and Glenda had done on their combined efforts.

As Gabriella, Taylor and Angelina helped the older women clear away the dishes after the kids were sent out into the backyard to play, Lee Danforth hustled the men into the living room to catch the tail end of the football game. Chad joined his dad, Troy and the others for a bit, but then decided he would be more comfortable wearing something a little less formal, and went upstairs to his room to change clothes.

He was walking around bare chested in search of one of his slogan bearing T-shirts he was so well known for, when he heard a soft knock upon his bedroom door. Assuming it had to be Taylor sneaking upstairs for a little one-on-one time, Chad strolled over to the door and flung it open as he said with a sexy smile on his face, "What took you so long to get here?"

It took him less than a second to go from being a teenaged Romeo to shocked, angry and embarassed when he realized that it was Marissa not Taylor standing before him, her eyes raking him over like a hungry she-wolf.

"Oh it's you," Chad said, all the enthusiam leaving his voice. "What do you want?"

"I was looking for the bathroom. The one downstairs is occupied," she said, trying to sound innocent enough even though her lovely green eyes belied her true intentions. The minute she'd seen Chad go upstairs from where she'd been sitting in the dinning room while all the women, including his precious Taylor, were in the kitchen, Marissa had made a beeline right behind him, thankfully unnoticed.

"Yeah? Well as you can see this isn't it. Try one more over," Chad stated rudely as he tried to close the door in her face.

She blocked his attempt to shut her out with her hand and then, before he knew it, had slipped inside his room and shut the door, locking it behind her.

"I let you ignore me all night while you fawned over McKessie in my face Chad Danforth. But I'm not allowing you to ignore me for one more single second," Marissa announced in a calm but chilling voice that exposed her obsession for him to the fullest.

All he could do was stand there looking at her as if she'd lost her mind, while she returned his horrified look with the smile of a girl who refused to be denied her heart's desire.

_In The Kitchen..._

"Hey Brie, did you see where Chad went?" Taylor asked as she stood in the kitchen doorway looking into the living room full of shouting cheering men as the bustle of clean up continued around her.

Gabriella looked up from where she had just finished loading the dishwasher and shook her head.

"Isn't he in the other room with Troy and the guys watching the game?"

"Nope. I'm checking in there now and I don't see him anywhere," Taylor replied.

Overhearing their conversation, Lisa Danforth smiled at her son's girlfriend. 

"I think he went upstairs to change sweetie," she offered as she handed a large platter to Carla Montez for scraping into the disposal. "Knowing Chad he probably couldn't take another minute in that suit and tie."

Taylor laughed. "Thanks Mrs. Danforth. You're absolutely right. He's definitely the t-shirt and jeans type."

His mother smiled with a nod and then returned to foil wrapping a counter full of unfinished bowls of food.

"I need to go to the bathroom, cover for me," Taylor whispered to Gabriella who was now wiping her hands off on a dish cloth, ready for manual labor to cease in favor of them sitting down for desert.

As her best friend left the room, she in turn went to stand in the kitchen doorway to look in on the men who were yelling that the referee was an idiot. Her gaze caught Troy's eye, who turned in her direction and winked, bringing a giggle to her lips.

Finding the downstairs bathroom occupied by none other than her little brother, Taylor made her way upstairs instead. Seeing Chad's door closed, she decided to check on him first before answering nature's call, when she suddenly felt a pair of hands grab her by the waist and move her past the door and down the hallway almost to its end. When she turned around Taylor came face-to-face with Julian who appeared slightly drunk.

"Where you going gorgeous?" He asked, as she slapped his hands away from her. "Looking for your man?"

"Not that it's any of your business but I was going to use the bathroom," Taylor snapped.

"Sure you were," Julian teased, a tiny slur attached to his words. "You don't fool me. I know you were trying to sneak into Chad's room for a little tonsil hockey session without the folks finding out. Too bad someone's already beat you to it."

"What are you talking about?" Taylor hissed, annoyed that in spite of her attempts to keep away from Julian, he still had found a way to corner her again, twice in two days.

"Oh don't play coy with me Miss McKessie. Surely you can't be so naieve as to not have noticed that my little cousin Marissa is nowhere to be found at the moment. She's not in the dining room, livingroom, kitchen or out back. Therefore, it's easy to conclude where she might be and most likely is," Julian stated with a nasty laugh, his eyes turning toward Chad's closed bedroom door. "Granted you might have the big IQ here but trust that Marissa has skills you can't even imagine when it comes to getting what she goes after."

"Get out of my way Julian. You're disgusting," Taylor snarled.

She tried to push past him, but just like before in Mr. Wilson's classroom, he blocked her way.

"I say if you can't beat'em join'em," Julian said, reaching out and undoing the tie on her dress, causing it to fall partially open, exposing just a hint of the top of her lacy black bra.

Taylor was outraged and went to slap his face, only Julian was prepared for her this time and grabbed her wrist in mid-air. She struggled to free herself from his grip but he only laughed as he manuevered her up against the wall, attempting to kiss those lips he'd been dreaming about since the day before.

Just then both were startled by the sound of suddenly raised voices coming from Chad's room followed by the door flying open and Marissa being tossed out into the hallway where she nearly lost her balance.

"You'll be sorry for this Chad. Sorrier than you know. Nobody rejects me. Nobody," Marissa threatened in a voice loud enough for Taylor and Julian to hear but not those down below.

"The only thing I'm sorry about is having ever liked and dated you," Chad snapped so angry he couldn't see straight. "You need to stop with these silly little games of yours and get it through your head that I don't want you anymore. I'm in love with Taylor, now and forever."

"Is that right? Well rest assured, your darling little girlfriend is going to pay just as you will for insulting me this way. I'm going to have my revenge you can..."

Marissa stopped in mid-sentence when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Taylor and Julian standing down the hall only a few feet away. Taking note of the condition her rival's dress appeared to be in, the smile that sprung to her lips was nothing short of pure evil.

"Looks like your girlfriend isn't as trustworthy as you thought Chad," Marissa taunted. "Why don't you come out here and see that she doesn't walk on water after all."

Julian couldn't help but be proud of his cousin's bravado in the face of her obvious humiliation of having yet again been shot down.

"If you don't shut about Taylor I'm going to..." Chad said moving into the hall still shirtless, bringing a gasp to Taylor's lips seeing him that way in Marissa's presence.

He turned and both their eyes briefly met in total shock, before Chad sized up the full comprehension of what he was seeing, namely that the girl he loved was practically pinned against the wall, her dress partially opened, with her wrist still caught in the grip of Julian's hand. Chad snapped.

"Why you son of a bitch! What in the hell do you think you're doing," he hissed, pushing Marissa out of the way as he tore down the hall, landing a punch to Julian's jaw that sent him to the floor.

Before anyone even knew how to stop what was happening, Chad was on top of Julian doing his best to choke the life out of him.

Marissa ran over to try and pull him off while Taylor begged him to stop before someone downstairs heard what was going on and things went from bad to worse. Chad heard neither girls' plea as he couldn't stop himself from wanting to pound Julian's face to a pulp for daring to touch Taylor. Just then, a pair of hands appeared out of nowhere, dragging him off the target of his rage.

Looking around, they all saw Troy standing there doing his best to hold Chad back, with Gabriella and Angelina right behind him.

"What the heck is going on here?" Troy demanded, trying his best to keep his voice down so all the adults wouldn't come running.

"This...this...bastard was trying to put the moves on Taylor," Chad seethed through clenched teeth, trying to break free of his best friend's hold so he could have another shot at Julian who was now propped against the wall gasping for air.

"Oh my God!" Angelina said, as she watched Marissa at their cousin's side checking to see if he was alright. "Is that true Julian?"

Julian coughed and shook his head.

"Of course it's not true Lina," Marissa jumped to his defense as she glared at Taylor and Chad with undisguised hatred. "If anything McKessie led him on and when he called her bluff tired to make it look like she was attacked!"

"Why you lying little bitch!" Gabriella said about to go after Marissa, only to have Angelina grab her by the arm in the nick of time.

In that same instance, Troy had to make an adjustment to his hold on a still seeing red Chad to catch Taylor by the back of her dress, who was also about to make a move on Marissa as well.

"Okay everyone needs to calm down right now. I mean it!" Troy commanded doing his best to bring the situation under control. "Do you want all of our parents to come up here and ask what the hell is going on?"

"He's right," Angelina said, letting go of Gabriella who went over to where Taylor stood and put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "I seriously doubt any of you want to explain how such a lovely Thanksgiving got turned into a violent free for all."

Troy looked to Chad to see if he'd finally managed to get ahold of his anger.

"If I let you go are you gonna behave?" he asked his friend who was still breathing heavy.

For a moment Chad didn't respond but then finally nodded his head.

"Yeah man I'm fine. Everything's cool. I promise I won't try to punch his face in just as long as he gets the hell out of my house and I mean right now."

"With pleasure," Julian snarled rubbing at his jaw while Marissa still fussed over him. "Just remember that your day is coming Danforth and I'll be there to see that you get what's coming to you!"

"Shut up Julian!" Angelina snapped, so furious with her cousin and sister she couldn't see straight. "I suggest you and Marissa get your asses downstairs so we can say our good-byes. This little party is over right now!"

"Don't you speak to us like that!" Marissa snarled, hating that her sister was obviously taking Chad and Taylor's side over hers and Julian's. "You are not our mother."

"No I'm not and thank God for small favors. But I gurantee that if you don't do as I say I will come over there and slap the taste out of your mouth!"

Gabriella, Taylor, Chad and Troy looked at Angelina like they couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"You're sister is right Marissa. You and Julian really need to get out of here right now, the sooner the better," Troy stated, backing Angelina's play.

"Fine," Julian spat standing up on his own and moving past the huddled group of four with his cousin right behind him. "But this isn't over. Not by a longshot."

"Oh yes it is Julian. Way over," Taylor said stepping away from the protective circle that Gabriella, Chad and Troy had formed around her. "If you so much as look at me or my friends ever again you'll be sorrier than you know. And just so you understand how serious I am, I want you to go home tonight, call up Principal Matthews and tell him you can't be a chaperone for our senior trip this weekend or I'm going downstairs right now and tell my father the ex-linebacker with a black belt in judo what happened up here and let him finish what Chad started."

Julian started to say something flip but decided against it because he knew that Taylor was more than serious about her threat to tell Mr. McKessie all. And while he planned to have his revenge one way or another, now was not the time as he was definitely outnumbered.

"Fine," he said and nothing more as he and Marissa headed toward the stairs.

As they walked away Angelina watched them shaking her head. She then turned to Troy, Chad, Taylor and Gabriella with a look of shameful embarassment.

"I can't even begin to tell you how truly sorry I am Taylor. And you too Chad. This was a wonderful evening and I would so hate to see it ruined after all the hard work your family put into making us feel at home. Please accept my apology on behalf of both my sister and cousin."

"Don't you dare apologize for them," Troy said, stepping to Angelina and taking her hand, causing Gabriella's eyebrows to raise in surprise. "Thank you for stepping in and helping to stop things before they went too far."

"No thanks necessary," Angelina smiled weakly. "I just wish this had never happened."

"So do we," Gabriella spoke up, not feeling the "moment" that was being shared between Troy and Marissa's sister.

"Troy's right," Chad said. "Thanks for preventing a disater in the making."

"No problem. Glad I was able to help. Now I better get downstairs and see that my parents are convinced that it's time to go home."

She waved a good-bye and then left, leaving the four friends standing in the hallway, trying to figure out what had just happened.

They were all a little surprised by the fact that in spite of everything that had just taken place in the span of no more than 10 minutes or so, that the shouts and cheers of the game watchers and the chatter of the women in the kitchen hadn't been disrupted in the slightest. Nobody's attention had been aroused to the fact that right above them World War III had been on the verge of breaking out.

A few moments later, as they continued to stand in the hallway in silence, they all heard the _"Oh are you sure you have to leave so soon?"_ from Lisa Danforth below, followed by Angelina's voice saying that her parents should stay as long as they liked and that she'd take Julian and Marissa home in her car. Hasty good-byes were made and then the three of them were gone.

It wasn't until they heard the front door close that Chad turned to Taylor to make sure she was really okay who, in turn, said not a single word but instead threw herself into his arms as the tears began to fall.

"Come on Brie, lets give them a moment alone," Troy suggested, taking his girlfriend's hand in his. "We need to get back downstairs anyway before someone starts questioning where all of us have been."

"You're right," Gabriella agreed. "We should probably make up a story about having known that Julian, Marissa and Angelina were planning to leave and that we'd already said bye to them in case we're asked why we weren't around when they actually left."

"That's my girl," Troy said leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Good thinking. It's best if we try to head off anything that might look suspicous as to what happened up here tonight even though right now it doesn't appear that any of our folks suspect a thing."

Gabriella turned toward her friends and sighed, watching Taylor shed the last of her tears in Chad's arms before following Troy downstairs. She truly hoped that this nightmare was finally over and that by some miracle, it hadn't tainted their chances of having a wonderful time when the first day of senior weekend began tomorrow.

After Taylor had calmed down, Chad took her to his room and sat her down on the bed. Finally able to put on a t-shirt, he came back to her side, kneeled down in front of her and with gentle loving hands began to fix her dress. Even in her upset, Taylor was still able to smile at her boyfriend's attentiveness.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome," Chad replied, his eyes heavy with concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Taylor nodded. "I'm sure. I'm so sorry about what happened. I don't know how I allowed things to get so out of control. One minute I was coming upstairs to use the bathroom the next..."

"Ssssh," Chad said putting a finger to Taylor's lips to silence her replay of events. "No more talking about that tonight. We can just be thankful that they are gone and that we don't have to worry about Julian being apart of our weekend."

Taylor looked at him with nervous eyes. "Please tell me this won't be a dark cloud following us around while we're away? It would still mean that that bastard won out over us and I couldn't bear that."

"No dark clouds baby I promise. Our trip was never about him and it isn't going to start being about him now or Marissa either. It's about you, me, Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Zeke and all the rest of our friends just like always. Nothing has changed. Believe me."

_An Hour Later..._

After everyone had had their fill of desert, with not a sign that any of the adults were even remotely aware of the chaos that had occurred right under their noses only an hour before, the evening slowly began to wind down.

Right before everyone was preparing to leave, Troy and Chad took a moment to steal away into the backyard once again with Gabriella and Taylor in tow, to say their good-byes for the night in private.

"I can't believe senior weekend is finally here," Gabriella said with a sigh, holding Troy's hand as they and their friends gazed up at the star-filled sky.

"Neither can I Brie," Taylor replied, she and Chad standing right next to them, her head resting against his shoulder. "Seems like it took tomorrow forever to come."

"Well ladies the wait is finally over and it's nothing but good times from here on out," Troy announced, pulling Gabriella into his arms.

"He's right," Chad chimed in, slipping his arm around Taylor. "We've made it through some pretty tough obstacles to get where we're going and now it's our time to shine. So here's to East High Wildcats Class of 2008 and a senior weekend to remember."

"And what are we gonna do to make sure this weekend goes down in the history books Danforth, McKessie, Montez?" Troy asked looking around at his friends with a huge grin on his face.

Chad, Taylor and Gabriella started to laugh then answered in unison. "Keep our heads in the game!"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

_Senior Weekend - Day 1_

When Coach and Mrs. Bolton pulled their black GMC Denali into East High's main parking lot at 7:00 a.m., both were surprised to see that many of the kids going on the senior trip had already arrived, their luggage practically covering the school's entire front lawn. At last count, there were approxmately 110 students signed up for the weekend, with 15 chaperones in attendance, bringing the total number of participants to 125.

Steering the giant SUV into his designated parking space, Coach Bolton came to a stop and cut the engine.

"Wow Jack!" Lucy Bolton exclaimed, her eyes scanning the crowd of excited teenagers that would be in their care for the next three days. "Looks like we've got a full house on our hands."

"Yep, it does," Coach nodded, leaning over to retrieve something from the glove compartment. "And to think this isn't the whole 200 in the graduating class. Some of the kids weren't able to make it for various reasons."

"Really? Well 100 plus is still a large number to keep under supervision by anyone's standards," Mrs. Bolton replied, reaching under the seat to retrieve her bag. "I suppose we better go check in with the other chaperones and let them know we've arrived."

Smiling at his wife whom he could see was already going over a mental task list in her head, Coach Bolton turned around in his seat to address the happy foursome in back.

"You guys ready to get the show on the road?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"And then some," Troy replied, his arm around Gabriella in the seats just behind.

"It's definitely party time here coach," added Chad, seated next to Taylor, who was staring wide-eyed out the window at their fellow classmates.

"Then let's roll," Jack Bolton said, as he as his wife opened their car doors and climbed out.

Following his parent's lead, Troy, Gabriella, Chad and Taylor all piled out as well and proceeded around to the back of the Denali to unload their things.

"I still can't believe senior weekend is finally here after all this time," Gabriella gushed, taking hold of her suitcase.

"I know," Taylor replied, snagging her backpack as Chad placed her other bag on the ground. "I barely slept at all last night just thinking about today."

"Well don't expect to get any sleep now Tay," Troy laughed grabbing his own gear from in back. "Or you either Brie. Danforth and I have got major plans to keep you girls up for the duration."

"That's right bro, school'em," Chad said with a grin, the last one to retrieve his bags. "These ladies have no idea what we've got in store for them."

Taylor and Gabriella looked at each other and smiled.

"Is that right? We'll don't forget gentlemen that we too have some plans of our own so just make sure you are ready to handle them," Gabriella announced, loving the expression of unexpected surprise that her remark brought to their boyfriend's faces.

"You know it Brie," Taylor confirmed with a sly little smile.

Just then, through the sea of chattering people that surrounded them, the two couples spotted Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan, Kelsi and Jason heading in their direction. Jason had been out of town on a student exchange program since the start of school, and was lucky enough to have made it back just in time for the first big event of senior year.

"What's up party people!" Zeke shouted as he, Jason and Ryan came up to Chad and Troy giving hi-fives all around. "Are we Wildcats ready to take our game to the next level?"

Sharpay and Kelsi walked past the guys who had instantly gone into male bonding mode, and made a beeline straight for Gabriella and Taylor.

"Thank goodness you all made it here on time," Sharpay said dressed in her usual flamboyant style, a clipboard filled with papers in hand. "I'm still missing 25 seniors and three chaperones off my final list, and he we are set to go in just under an hour."

"And good morning to you too Seargent Evans. I see you have yet to throw back your day starting latte," Gabriella joked, not the least bit surprised by the greeting they received, as Kelsi went over to Taylor and pulled her aside.

"I hope you aren't still mad at me for telling Brie about what happened the other day. I only wanted to do what I could to help," she apologized nervously.

Taylor smiled and gave her friend a hug.

"It's okay Kel. Everything's cool. I was mad for a second but it passed and now all I want is for all of us to have a great time this weekend."

"Really? Thanks Taylor," Kelsi said with a sigh of relief that her burden had been lifted. "You're the best."

Having cleared the air between them, both girls turned their attention back to their other two friends who, as usual, were amusing themselves with comical banter. Behind them, the guys were still huddled together in their little macho pow wow.

"Listen Gabriella, the last thing I need right now is you giving me sass," Sharpay was saying, her eyes continuously on the look out for problems among the crowd of seniors milling about. "I've got a lot on my plate today, this whole weekend really, and a little support for my efforts from you in particular would be greatly appreciated."

"I'm all for giving you support Shar, just as long as you remember this is senior weekend and not Marine boot camp," Gabriella quipped at being chastised. "We're supposed to be enjoying a fun outing and I intend to see that it stays that way."

"Okay you two play nice," Taylor laughed. "We've got three days together and bickering them away is not an option."

"Whose bickering?" Gabriella asked, throwing her hands up innocently. "I'm just letting Shar know that she needs to chill or she'll end up missing out on all the fun she helped to organize."

"There is plenty of time for me to have fun once I get this group of rowdies accounted for and on the buses," Sharpay informed as she remembered to check their names off the arrivals list. "I've been here for almost two hours and none of you would believe some of the drama moi has encountered. I already had to read the riot act to at least 7 different seniors who decided now was the time to change their names to Budweiser, Jack Daniels and Kahlua."

Taylor, Gabriella and Kelsi started cracking up.

"Wow! That many people tried to sneak alcohol on the trip?" Taylor asked, not totally shocked by the revelation.

"Yes, and God only knows what else," Sharpay replied noticing several more cars pulling into the parking lot. "If we survive this weekend without making the front page of some newspaper I'll be totally surprised. Some of this motley crew are definitely going to need a lot of supervision."

"Well that's what we have chaperones for," Kelsi pointed out. "Nobody expects you to take on every problem by yourself Shar."

"Maybe not, but this is my baby for the most part and I don't want anyone pointing the guilty finger in my direction when all is said and done. And speaking of chaperones...where are Troy's parents? I need to sign them in as well."

"I think I saw them talking to Mrs. Darbus and Principal Matthews over by the fountain," Gabriella answered, pointing out into the crowd.

"Great. I better get over there and give them the current head count before things get any more hectic. We're all assigned to bus number one so make sure the guys know where to take their luggage. I'll be back when it's time to leave," Sharpay stated, marching off to attend to her next mission.

"That girl's gonna bust a blood vessel if she doesn't slow down," Gabriella remarked with the shake of her head. "I swear I hope she remembered to pack some Prozac in her Gucci."

Zeke saw Sharpay disappear into the crowd and walked over to the girls with a sigh.

"Now where is she going?" He asked, sounding a bit frustrated. "I haven't been able to pin her down for five minutes since we got here."

"She's probably off to remind the adults of who's really running things around here," Troy laughed, as he, Chad, Jason and Ryan came to join them.

"Yep, Darbus better watch her step or she might find herself pushing one of the buses there and back," Chad joked, ribbing Jason in the side.

"Well it looks like our little group at least is all here and accounted for," Gabriella said, taking Troy's hand. "And Jason...it's really good to have you back. We missed you."

Jason smiled. "Thanks Gabriella. It's good to be back."

"Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah. As a matter of fact I did. How about all of you? Did anything special happen?" he asked in turn.

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and then over at Chad and Taylor who were standing arm-in-arm.

"Nope. Nothing special. Just your run of the mill turkey day," Chad stated, giving his girlfriend a little squeeze. "The best part was that Troy and I got to spend it with Brie and Tay."

"You all got to spend Thanksgiving together? That's nice," Kelsi said, briefly thinking back on the day with her own family.

"Did you and Sharpay have a good time in San Francisco?" Gabriella directed at Ryan.

"For the most part. My sister was pretty happy that at the last minute Zeke was able to join us too. He and our Aunt Fergie really hit it off."

"Wait...Zeke was hanging with the upper crust in the City by the Bay? Way to go man," Troy applauded, turning to pat his friend on the back.

"Well you know...what can I say," Zeke posed with a grin. "When Shar and Ryan's folks offered up the invitation this Wildcat just couldn't say no. And Aunt Fergie is the best. Let me whip up my special creme brulee in her awesome five star kitchen, no problem. I got to wear a chef's hat and everything."

"Guess you can now just write out your last will and testament and go straight to heaven huh?" Chad teased, making everyone in the group laugh.

Then out of nowhere...

_"Attention people! Attention! I have a few announcements to make!"_

Every head in the parking lot turned around to see Sharpay situated slightly above the crowd as she stood on a chair, now accessorized with a bullhorn.

_"Thank you! First up...welcome graduating Wildcats to senior weekend 2007!"_

A roar of cheering applause exploded among everyone present.

_"This my fellow classmates promises to be the best senior trip yet. And to make sure we start our journey off on the right foot and most importantly, on time, I need to ask everyone who is not an attendee of the event or a chaperone to say their good-byes now. The buses will be arriving in a few minutes and we'll need all remaining time devoted to getting everyone seated and luggage stored. _

_Second, if you don't already have your bus assignment number please see Mrs. Darbus or Mrs. Bolton over by the flag pole and they will ensure that you do. If you have your number please line up in the marked areas at the far end of the parking lot with your bags. Our wonderful chaperones will also be standing in these areas to give assistance where needed. Finally, for now, any items listed on the prohibited list you all received that are not discarded prior to boarding will be cause to have your participation in senior weekend revoked. Thank you."_

There were more loud cheers and even a few boos. Sharpay stepped down from her platform, handed Principal Matthews the bullhorn, and then headed back to her friends. The crowd of seniors began shifting about as they grabbed their luggage and moved off to their assigned waiting areas.

"Does anyone know what bus we're supposed to be on?" Chad asked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder while grabbing his suitcase in one hand and Taylor's in the other.

"Sharpay said we were assigned to bus number one," Kelsi stated, as Ryan followed Chad's lead by taking his bag as well as her own.

"Then let's get ourselves over to the number one spot pronto," Troy said as their little group began falling out.

They were just approaching their pick-up point, when a dark green Jaguar pulled up and out stepped Marissa looking anything but happy. She caught sight of Chad and Taylor and gave both a glare full of venom. A few of her friends excitedly rushed over and started helping her take her bags out of the trunk.

"Oh goody, the pom-pom dragon has arrived," Zeke joked, but only Kelsi, Ryan and Jason laughed. Troy, Chad, Taylor and Gabriella did not.

"God I wish she had decided not to come," Taylor leaned over and whispered in Chad's ear.

"I know baby. But just be glad we at least got rid of that creep cousin of hers. As long as he's no where near you this weekend or anywhere else, everything will be fine. No worries," Chad whispered back, kissing the temple of her forehead.

Just then Sharpay walked up and took Zeke's hand, much to his pleasant surprise.

"Okay, I'm yours for the time being so make the most of it," she announced, happy to finally have a minute to herself. "Principal Matthews, Mrs. Darbus, Troy's parents and the rest of the chaperones who, thank goodness finally showed up, are taking things over until we arrive at our destination."

"Did you just say all the chaperones are here?" Taylor asked, a stab of panic in her heart.

"Yes," Sharpay answered. "All except for Julian. Seems he caught a bug or something and called Principal Matthews up last night to say that he wouldn't be able to attend. I'm sure that bit of news just makes your day doesn't it Danforth?"

"No. Actually it makes my whole year," Chad said, smiling over at a relieved Taylor.

Shortly thereafter, a string of luxury buses with tinted windows began driving up to the school amid more thunderous cheering and applause, each one with a banner on the outside that read: _"East High Senior Class Weekend"_.

Troy let out an impressed whistle. "Man Sharpay. Those are some pretty smooth rides you have us rolling in. Are you sure the senior bank account can afford it?"

"Luckily for us, my father is close friends with the man who owns this particular transportation company. He donated the buses to us as a favor, free of charge. Trust Bolton that it never hurts to have people in high places in your debt. Or in this case, my daddy's debt."

"Well whatever the arrangement, it looks like we Wildcats are definitely going to be leaving here in style," Chad stated, equally as impressed as his best friend.

"Is there any other way to go?" Sharpay asked with an as if tone.

_20 Minutes Later, 7:55 a.m. _

Once all the buses had been filled and the luggage stored there was nothing left to do but head out. The level of excitement was at a fever pitch when finally the signal to take off was given between the first and last bus by Principal Matthews. As the caravan slowly began pulling out of the parking lot and onto the street, the rousing cheers started up again as the mood grew even more festive.

Sitting toward the front of their bus, the close knit group of friends laughed and talked non-stop. It had taken a lot to get here but here they were. All were more than ready for the time of their lives, a weekend to remember. None of them had a clue as to just how much their worlds were truly about to change now and forever more in the next three days...but they would.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

In the hour and a half since the five luxury buses had left East High filled to capacity with students, chaperones and luggage, things among the 124 travelers had quieted down a bit. The element of highly charged energy and excitment still remained, but many on the journey had re-channeld their focus for the time being, awaiting their arrival to resume the fevered pitch that had sent them on their way.

Most of the chaperones, some of them parents some of them teachers, had each settled in for the long ride by utilizing their time to go over schedules, rules, menus and all other manner of written well organized plans that encompassed the whole of the three-day event.

Many of the students had toned down their rowdy ways in favor of exclusive discussion among an intimate group of friends, listening to music on iPods, drawing, reading, gazing out the window at the picturesque scenary or sleeping.

Chad and Taylor, hands locked together, their heads touching sweetly, were fast asleep in their seats. Across the aisle from where they sat, Troy was reading the sports section of the newspaper he'd brought along, while Gabriella had plugged into her iPod, now grooving to the mellow sounds of her favorite artists. In the seats behind them, Kelsi, Ryan and Jason were playing a game of gin rummy to pass the time, while Zeke flipped through a culinary magazine, and Sharpay hummed show tunes under her breath as she looked over the tasks on her clipboard she still had to accomplish to ensure that this senior weekened went down in the history books.

They were all doing their own thing when, at around 10:30 a.m., the buses ventured off the main highway now surrounded by mountainous terrain, onto a private road, at long last reaching the gates that promised to lead them into paradise.

Sensing their arrival even in sleep, Taylor slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her senses was breathtaking to say the least and she gasped at the sheer beauty of what she saw.

Not too far off in the distance she could see a magnificently rustic mountain lodge enormous in scope and size, standing before a pristine lake that shone like deep blue glass. There were lodge-like cottages, 20 in all, situated around the greater building as if standing guard. Massive trees, some bearing burnt-gold leaves others of reddish-orange, mingled together with the still remaining greenery that weaved its way in between all the vibrant colors of fall in perfect harmony.

"Chad. Chad. You have to wake up to see this," Taylor whispered, gently knuding her boyfriend in the arm.

Chad began to rub the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in his seat.

"What is it?" he asked with a yawn.

"Look baby. Look," Taylor said now wide awake, her face practically pressed to the window like a kid in a candy store. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Wow!" Chad exclaimed when he finally paid attention to what he was seeing. "Is that where we're going for senior weekend?"

"Yes it is," Sharpay said from behind them as everyone else on the bus also began taking notice of their surroundings. "That's Colton's Bay Lodge. Isn't it stunning?"

"Colton's Bay Lodge? Never heard of it," Troy said, he and Gabriella both leaning toward their window trying to take it all in.

"Of course you haven't heard of it silly. This place is an ultra exclusive resort that has been in my family for generations. My daddy only opens it up for special business conventions or when we have family reunions."

"Sharpay this place is unbelievable," Kesli said in awe. "I can't believe we're really going to spend the entire weekend here."

"Well believe it sunshine. When I became head of the senior committe and they asked me to give them some locations of where to hold our trip, this was the only place that came to mind."

"Yep," Ryan confirmed. "She never once hesitated about making this our destination. I actually had to take my hat off to her because I'd have never thought of the lodge in a million years even though it's perfect."

"Good job Sharpay," Jason complimented.

"Thank you."

A few minutes later all the buses came to a stop, the students and chaperones alike more than anxious to debark. Just like the banners on the side of the buses, there was another huge one hung between two massive pillars decorated with red and white ballons in front of the main lodge welcoming the senior class. An older man and two younger women all dressed in suits were standing on the stairs at the ready, obviously awaiting instructions of some kind.

Getting up from her seat, Sharpay made her way to the front of the bus where their chaperones, Mrs. Darubs, her husband and Ms. Phillips, a geometry teacher, all sat.

"Okay everyone I need your attention!" she said clapping her hands together to bring the focus onto her. "We are going to be letting you guys off the buses in a second but there are a few things you need to know. All luggage is to be left in the main hall with tags I'm going to give you that have your cabin assignments on them. While we are inside having a buffet breakfast, the staff here at Colton's Bay are going to see to it that all of your things are taken down to the cabins and should be there when you arrive. Once we're done eating, you will then be taken to your homes away from home for the next few days where you will have approxomately one hour to unpack. Afterwards everyone will reassmeble in the great hall to go over the weekend's events. Any questions?"

"Yeah!" came a voice from in back. "Can we get the party started now?"

The bus exploded into cheers, whistles and applause.

Much to Sharpay's surprise, the bus debarking and tagging of luggage went far smoother than she could have imagined.

After accomplishing the first two immediate tasks, the seniors and chaperones all moved into the dinning room of the main lodge to line up for a sumptuous breakfast.

Sitting down together at one of the tables, Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Ryan, Sharpay, Zeke and Jason spent the next hour eating and talking. When they were finished, the 110 seniors were broken up into groups and taken to their assigned housing, which had been divided into two sections: one for the boys, and one for the girls. The chaperones had their own private accommodations within each section.

Because their housing assignments were close to one another even though sectioned off by gender, the gang was able to walk together to their mutual destinations. As they made their way down a winding tree-lined path with a perfect view of the shimmering lake, they continued to comment on the beauty of the landscape.

"I'm telling you Sharpay this place is like a fairy-tale," Gabriella sighed walking hand-in-hand with Troy. "I've never seen anything like it. It's almost too beautiful to believe."

"Yep. This definitely feels like paradise," Taylor stated, taking in a deep breath of the crisp mountain air. "I can't understand why your dad doesn't keep this place open year-round. He'd no doubt make a fortune if he did."

"True. But daddy doesn't want the lodge to be seen as just another business. He, just like my grandfather and great-grandfather before him, always wanted to maintain the specialness of this area and felt that making it too commerical and accessible would ruin that," Sharpay informed, leading her friends out of a grove of trees into a clearing where four smaller lodge-type buildings stood on a plateau overlooking the lake.

"Oh man, this just keeps getting better and better," Zeke said with a whistle, admiring the wrap around decks upstairs and down, floor to ceiling panoramic windows, and large stone fireplace stacks jutting out from the roofs.

"Hey look! There's also an oversized outdoor jacuzzi too!" Chad exclaimed, his mind already devising how soon he and Taylor would be spending quality time in it together.

"And check out all the great patio furniture. Those chairs look comfortable enough to sleep on," Gabriella stated, realizing that she was going to have to give Sharpay way more credit for bringing them here than she first thought.

"So, are these places really big enough to accommodate us all?" Jason asked in his usual out-of-left field manner.

"Of course," Sharpay prounounced as if it were an insult for him to even suggest otherwise.

"These junior lodges are like heaven on earth, equipped with everything you could imagine. They house up to six people at a time with two master bedrooms and baths upstairs and down. All the beds are queen-sized, not twin. Each has a living room complete a fireplace and a stereo-system, wide-screen TV, and DVD player with a movie library. There is a kitchen, which we've had fully stocked with snacks and drinks for when the dinning room is closed. Heat, AC and ceiling fans are standard, and there are glass doors facing the lake which lead out onto the back decks."

"We've got all that to look forward too inside?" Troy asked, finding it almost hard to believe they would be living in the lap of so much luxury.

"Yes Bolton, all that," Sharpay affirmed. "And of course, Chad has already pointed out that the four junior lodges jointly share a deluxe outdoor jacuzzi which you can clearly see for yourself."

"Sweet Shar," Zeke said, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "You done good girl. No wait. Let me take that back. You done great!"

"Yes I have," she stated matter of fact. "And just so you all realize how lucky you are to be friends of mine, I made sure that we had the best lodges assigned for our use, as these are the ones with the ultimate view and positioning to the lake itself."

"Well let's all hail Sharpay Evans," Gabriella teased.

"And don't forget to bow and courtsey on your way inside either Montez."

Everyone laughed.

"So Sharpay, which junior lodge belongs to whom?" Chad asked, not really caring since they all looked more than inviting to stay in. "And whose got the other two besides us?"

"Actually only one of the other lodges will be in use and that's for the chaperones," Ryan interjected. "Shar wanted us to have a little bit more privacy than everyone else so she didn't assign one of them at all."

"So it's just us and the chaperones?" Kelsi questioned.

"That's right. It's going to be just us, Ms. Phillips, Mr. Wilson, and Troy's folks," Sharpay replied, pleased by all her little arrangements.

"Wait a second...I thought Darbus was one of our chaperones?" Chad said. "I mean she did travel up here on the bus with us?"

"That's the bus Danforth. This is senior weekend and there is no way I'm going to have Mrs. Darbus of all people breathing down our necks at every turn."

"Oh, but you don't mind if my parents are doing it instead?" Troy asked, not at all pleased that his mother and father would be around to cramp his style.

"Chill Bolton. I'm putting your folks in the building farthest down the pathway from us. Believe me, when your mom sees that lake view and how romantic it is at night, the last thing she's gonna be worrying about is you and Gabriella doing who knows what."

"Sounds good to me," Chad said with a laugh, pulling Taylor close bringing a smile to her lips with a quick kiss. "As long as I don't have Darbus hanging around life is alright."

"Agreed," chimed in Zeke and Jason.

"So, now that everyone has been enlightened as to their accommodations, I say we all go inside, unpack and get ready for orientation in an hour," Sharpay suggested.

"Come on guys, I'll show you our place," Ryan offered, as Troy, Chad, Zeke and Jason followed.

When the girls entered their junior lodge for the duration, the oohs and aahs started right back up again. It was even more fabulous than what had been described.

Kelsi, Taylor and Gabriella all learned that they each had a bedroom to themselves and didn't have to share since there were only four total in their group. Grabbing their luggage which had been stacked in the living room, the girls rushed off to unpack and change.

"Oh my God there's a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom as well!" Taylor hollered out as she put away her toothbrush and other toiletries.

"I know," Gabriella yelled back equally excited. "And have you seen the private decks we each have too? You can see the entire lake from here all the way to the other side."

Once unpacked, they all reassembled in the downstairs ready to head up for orientation. Just then there was a knock at the front door and Lucy Bolton and Lorraine Phillips both entered.

"Well it's good to see you ladies have settled in," Troy's mom said with a smile. "Isn't this place just amazing?"

"Indeed it is. Everything is absolutely perfect Sharpay," Ms. Phillips declared. "I'm still surprised that your family would even consider allowing a bunch of high school kids to use this wonderful place for the senior outing. Oh... and by the way...did I see horse stables back behind the main lodge?"

"Horses? Are you serious?" Kelsi asked excitedly. "Really?"

"I believe so," Ms. Phillips replied. "At least that's what I thought I saw before Mrs. Bolton, Mr. Wilson and I made our way down here."

"You are correct," Sharpay answered. "We do have stables. As a matter of fact, there are 20 horses we may use this weekend for those who ride or want to learn courtsey of our stable manager Ben James."

"Get out!" Taylor exclaimed in shock. "What other little surprises do you have in store for us Miss Evans?"

"Well, I was going to wait to announce all of this at the orientation," Sharpay hesitated slightly. "But I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you what's in store now since that's what orientation is going to be about."

"By all means, do tell," Gabriella encouraged, waiting to hear what more magic her friend had ready to pull out of her trick bag.

"In addition to the horses, there is also a basketball court, a baseball field, and a dirt bike ring for those who like motorcycles. There is also a state-of-the-art gym as well. Oh...and there are jet skis for anyone who wants to have fun on the lake, although this time of year is a bit cool for such sport. The only thing we don't have access too are the sail boats, which are dry docked for winter maintenance. "

"Say what?!" Gabriella said, her jaw practically on the floor. "Jet skis? Horses? A dirt bike ring? Are you for real?"

"Very Brie," Sharpay stated. "There are also two indoor swimming pools in the building just behind the main lodge, as well as a gaming room with pool tables, arcade video games, and even a scaled down bowling alley."

"Wow Sharpay! This place is beyond incredible. I don't know how anyone is going to want to leave after having all this at their fingertips for three days," Kelsi pointed out.

"Like I told you before, Colton's Bay is a very special to my family, which is why not just anybody is allowed to spend time here."

"Well all I can say is Zeke was right...you done good girl!" Taylor said with a smile.

"Glad you all approve," Sharpay said with a satisfied smile, her plan of becoming the greatest senior weekend hostess in East High history pretty much secured. "Now if you ladies, Ms. Phillips and Mrs. Bolton are ready, I think we need to meet up with the guys and head off to orientation."

"Sounds good," Lucy Bolton agreed, dreaming of the romantic evening she was planning in her head for herself and Coach Bolton later. "Jack is still up at the main lodge with Principal Matthews, but Lawrence Wilson promised to have Troy and the others outside in 10 minutes just as we were leaving to come and check on all of you."

"Then I say we go see if Mr. Wilson is a man of his word," Sharpay joked heading for the front door. "Ladies, after you."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Tell the truth Tay. Are you sure you really don't mind my hanging with Troy and the guys for just a little while?" asked Chad as they walked hand-in-hand down the stairs of the main lodge following orientation.

"I already told you I didn't. Why do you keep asking?" Taylor replied in a less than enthusiastic tone, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Because," Chad said, sensing they were about to have an argument. "I know you and I know that tone in your voice. Your lips may be saying yes but your eyes are telling me a different story."

"Oh really? And what story are my eyes telling?" Taylor questioned somewhat defensively, not enjoying being put under the microscope, something she herself knew how to do with expertise.

"That you love me but that you're also pissed right now too," Chad stated, watching her expression intently.

"Well you're wrong," Taylor said rather dismissively, as she dropped his hand and started to walk off.

Chad only let her go a few steps before stopping her in her tracks. Gently taking Taylor's arm, he moved them both out of the way of the steady stream of students still leaving from orientation, positioning her back against a tree.

"What are you doing?" Taylor asked annoyed. "I thought you were in a hurry to get with the guys?"

Chad shook his head as he placed both hands against the tree on either side of her, their faces close together.

"I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere until you and I finish our talk. Now why won't you admit that you're mad?"

"Because I'm not," Taylor lied, trying to avoid those eyes she could never seem to resist.

"Okay. Then what?" Chad persisted wanting to hug, kiss and shake her all at once.

Taylor did her best to remain stubbornly silent, but the attempt failed under his piercing gaze.

"I'm just...I'm just disappointed is all," she finally admitted with a sigh. "Call me selfish, but I thought this weekend was about you and me spending quality time together. God knows we deserve it?"

"You're not selfish," Chad assured her with a smile, wanting to kiss the tiny pout from her lips. "And you aren't wrong either. This weekend is about us all the way make no mistake about that. I just didn't think you'd want to tag along while we go check out the dirt bikes. But hey, if I'm wrong let me know because you're more than welcome to come along."

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Taylor realized that she was being unreasonable for no good reason. He had her so spoiled by his attentiveness that she had gotten greedy for it all the time. What was the big deal if he wanted to hang with his friends for a while? They had the entire weekend to be together.

Taylor relaxed her mood with a smile. "I'm sorry Chad. I don't know why I'm making a big deal out of nothing. We've got three whole days for just us."

"And two whole nights too. Remember?" Chad said, a mischevous grin spreading across his face.

Taylor laughed. "Yes, and two whole nights. So no biggie. Go be with Troy and the guys and I'll catch up with you later."

"You sure now?"

"I'm positive."

Still grinning from ear to ear, Chad gently rubbed his nose against hers and leaned in for a kiss.

"Well isn't this little scene just too touching and precious for words," came the sound of a voice from behind dripping with sarcasm. "Another set of sickening lovebirds on par with Troy and Gabriella."

Taylor and Chad broke apart and turned to find Marissa standing there with hands on hips, a viscious gleam in her eyes.

"Why don't you two get a room or something. All that PDA is liable to make some people want to hurl," the pretty cheerleader snarled, her hatred for the both of them more than obvious.

"Why don't you mind your own damn business!" Chad suggested angrily. "This is a big place. Go find somewhere else to circle your broom."

Taylor had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud at at the witty insult.

"That's right McKessie, yuck it up while you can," Marissa snapped, wanting nothing more than to slap the smirk from her one-time rival's face. "Just remember that I always have the last laugh. Always."

"Whatever. Why don't you stop embarassing yourself and get the hell out of here!" ordered Chad, his patience slipping.

"Fine! But don't say you weren't warned," Marissa advised, walking away toward a group of her friends who were waiting for her at the bottom of the path.

"That girl gives me the creeps," Taylor whispered under her breath.

"You and me both," Chad agreed, putting his arm around her as they watched his ex retreat.

Suddenly Marissa stopped dead in her tracks, turned around, and shouted nastily back at the two of them.

"Oh! McKessie. By the way...Julian said to tell you hi!"

At the mention of her cousin's name, Chad tensed and made a move like he was about to go chase Marissa down, but halted when Taylor grabbed his arm.

"Don't baby," she said, cringing at the evil little laugh that came drifing up the pathway at Chad's reaction. "She just wants to push your buttons. Do not give that girl the satisfaction."

He turned to Taylor with anger filled eyes but then she smiled and he felt himself instantly regain control.

"You're right," he said placing a kiss on her forehead as a laughing Marissa and her friends disappeared from sight behind some trees. "She's definitely not worth our time."

"No she isn't," Taylor agreed. "Let's just do like we said and ignore her altogether. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Hey you two what's going on?" Troy asked, walking up to Chad, drumming him on the back, Gabriella and the others in tow. "I thought we were heading over to the dirt bike ring for a while?"

"Yeah man we are," Chad answered, shaking off the last of the unpleasant encounter. "Tay and I were just getting our plans straight and saying good-bye."

"Oh good grief!" Sharpay sighed in exasperation. "You two act as if someone is going off to war instead of just a few hours of dirt bike and horseback riding."

Chad rolled his eyes but passed on his usual automatic response to her snippiness.

"Horseback riding?" Taylor asked surprised.

"Yeah," Gabriella spoke up. "Shar wants us to go horseback riding while the guys are off being poster boys for the testosterone challenged."

She and Taylor both started laughing.

"Very funny Brie," Troy said unamused.

"Sounds good to me," Taylor stated, glad to have something to do since Chad was going to be occupied for a while. "I guess we need to go back to our rooms and change?"

"Yep, that's where we're headed now," Gabriella advised.

"And what about Jason, Ryan and Kelsi? Where are they?"

"My brother and little Liberace decided they'd rather go bowling then partake of this beautiful weather," Sharpay supplied. "I don't know where Jason ran off too."

"He's meeting us over at the dirt bike ring with a bunch of the guys," Zeke explained, anxious to get over there himself.

"So I guess we'll just catch up with you ladies in the dinning room at lunch time huh?" Chad asked, giving Taylor a wink.

"No to the dining room Danforth," Sharpay corrected. "We're having a barbecue down by the lake starting at 2:00 o'clock. That's where you guys will find us."

"Then lake, barbecue, 2:00 o'clock it is," Troy said, giving Gabriella a kiss, as did Chad with Taylor and Zeke with Sharpay, before they raced off together.

The girls watched them leave, smiling at their boyish excitement, and then proceeded to go do their own thing as well.

They'd been out riding for almost an hour, when Gabriella looked over at Sharpay with a smile.

"You know Shar, as much as I hate to admit it, you really outdid yourself when it comes to senior weekend. I know I've given you a hard time and all about being a little dictator during the planning stages, but you definitely deserve kudos for pulling things off," Gabriella said, sitting astride a beautiful chestnut mare who went by the name of Sunny.

"Here, here," Taylor agreed, as she trotted along beside her two friends on the back of her gray known as Raring To Go. "Nobody is gonna believe us when we tell them just how amazing everthing was. I know the seniors who missed out on the trip will be kicking themselves for years to come that's for sure."

"Probably longer than that Tay," Gabriella laughed.

Patting the mane of her snow white stallion Meeko, Sharpay found that she was truly touched by the praise and compliments of her friends, two girls whom she never in a million years would have guessed she would have grown so close too. They may have had a rocky start in the beginning, but Sharpay didn't doubt for a moment that if she ever needed either one to have her back there they would be.

"So Shar, about tonight's activities...seems you have us all on a pretty full schedule," Taylor remarked as her eyes caught sight of an eagle flying overhead then dipping between the trees. "I was nearly dizzy by the time you finished reading off the list at orientation."

Gabriella laughed. "Tonight? What about the entire weekend? I swear we're gonna need a vacation from our vacation by the time she's done with us."

Even Sharpay laughed at that as it was more than true.

"Well I did promise you a senior trip to remember didn't I? Besides, there's nothing wrong with having more than one option."

"Oh you definitely made sure of that Ms. Evans," Taylor joked. "A barbecue by the lake this afternoon. A twilight softball game this evening, and a combination carnival-dance tonight. Tomorrow is a whole other story in itself. I just wonder when we'll have time to sleep?"

"We can all sleep when we're dead McKessie," Sharpay stated unapologetically. "Now is our time to party and that's exactly what we're going to do."

"Hey, why don't we plan to snatch the guys away from the carnival-dance a little early tonight so we can all try out that amazing jacuzzi?" Gabriella suggested, ducking her head under a low hanging branch, missing her head by inches.

"That's all I need...you, Troy and warm bubbling water. Chad and Taylor too. Oh joy."

Her friends laughed.

"Come on Sharpay, don't act like you wouldn't like to get in on that type of action yourself with Zeke," Taylor said knowingly. "I think it would be great for us to have our own private little party to celebrate our first day here don't you?"

"Well...," Sharpay pretended to hesitate. "I suppose that could be fun."

"Oh who are you kidding girl?" Gabriella teased. "You know it would be awesome. Us with our hot boyfriends, chilling under a starry sky? It doesn't get any better than that."

"Brie's right. We came to have the time of our lives and that sounds like a darn good step in the right direction if you ask me."

Sharpay shook her head with a smile. "I see you two teenaged hussies are planning to get into all sorts of trouble this weekend. Thank goodness we have chaperones around."

"Oh please. The way Mrs. Bolton was cheesing over the accommodations here, she and Coach may be the ones who are in need of a chaperone not us."

"Yep. Ms. Phillips and Mr. Wilson too. Both were looking awfully chummy at the orientation earlier," Taylor chimed in.

"Ewww," Sharpay said with a shiver. "I would certainly hope that Lorraine Phillips had far better taste in men than that."

Gabriella and Taylor cracked up.

"Okay, jacuzzi party it is then. About 10:00 tonight," their friend stated, agreeing to the plan. "Now why don't we speed up this little merry-go-round pace with the horses so we can get back to the house ready ourselves for the barbecue."

After Meeko, Sunny and Raring To Go had been returned to the stables, Sharpay left her friends to go check in with Principal Matthews and Mrs. Darbus about that night's activities, promising to join them shortly.

As they were walking back to their junior lodge, Gabriella and Taylor chatted away, completely excited about all the things still left to enjoy for the day, well into that night. They waved and said hi to various little groups of their classmates whom they passed along the way, noting that all of them, no matter where they were off to in search of fun, seemed to be having the best time ever.

When they reached their section of buildings, the girls caught sight of Ms. Phillips and Mrs. Bolton heading down toward the lake, where smoke from the barbecue could be seen.

Going inside, they each went to their rooms, discarded clothes dusty from their ride, and jumped into the shower. When Taylor emerged amid a cloud of steam 15 minutes later, she felt totally refreshed and ready for not only lunch but Chad too, hoping he was having as much fun as she had just had with Sharpay and Gabriella.

Sitting down on the bed, ready to brush out her hair, something propped against the pillows that she hadn't seen before suddenly caught her eye. Leaning over, Taylor stretched out her hand and retrieved what she realized was a picture. The minute she brought it in for a closer look, her entire face nearly hit the ground.

"What the hell..." she mumbled, her eyes unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Hey Tay have you by any chance seen my..."Gabriella was saying as she entered the room wrapped in a towel, hair still wet from her own shower. Stopping in mid-sentence, she caught the expression on her best friend's face and instantly knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern, as Taylor looked up at her with stunned eyes and then held out her hand.

Gabriella took the picture from her friend and gasped in shock. There clear as could be was Chad kissing on none other than Marissa DeLeon with the words "Fun Chicago-style" written underneath.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

When Chad and Troy finally returned from dirt biking, there was a just enough time left for them to shower, change clothes, and head down to the lake before the barbecue officially got underway.

As they approached their lodge site, they both spotted Gabriella sitting alone on the girls' lower deck staring out at nothing in particular, the expression on her face appearing sadly distracted.

"I wonder what's up?" Chad said, noticing that Brie didn't seem like herself. "Your girl looks like she's got something heavy on her mind."

As Troy drew closer to where Gabriella sat, he too got the impression that something was wrong. When he was finally standing at her side, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek with a smile.

"Hey babe. Sorry I'm late. That dirt bike stuff was awesome. Way too much fun. But I promise it will only take me a few to shower and change and then we can head down to the barbecue."

For a moment Gabriella looked at him with unseeing eyes, but then regained her focus and spoke.

"Hey Troy. You just getting back?" she asked.

He and Chad looked at each other and laughed.

"Ummm…yeah…just a few seconds ago. We kind of lost track of time which is why we're running a little late. But like I said, I just need a few minutes to get it together and then we can go have lunch."

She looked at him strangely and then nodded that she understood.

"Brie, where's Taylor ?" Chad wondered. "Did she already head down to the lake?"

At the sound of her best friend's name, Gabriella seemed to instantly snap out of her daze and become totally present. She finally "saw" Troy and Chad even though they had been standing there next to her for several minutes, and the look she gave Chad was one of near hostile confusion.

"No. Taylor's upstairs in her room," Gabriella offered, coming across cool and detached.

"Oh!" Chad said, a little taken aback by his friend's mood. She was usually so nice and upbeat with him but that was definitely not the case at the moment. "I guess she must be getting ready still huh?"

"No. As a matter fact, Taylor said she doesn't feel like going to the barbecue now and frankly I can't say that I blame her."

"Why doesn't she want to go babe?" Troy asked, starting to worry that something important was going on with his and Chad 's girlfriends, only they were the last to know.

"Because of Chad and Marissa," Gabriella said matter of fact, her tone still unpleasant, her eyes filled with accusation.

"What!" Chad exclaimed, not even close to getting what she meant. "Is that supposed to be funny? A joke?"

"Nope. No joke and certainly not funny. Seems your secret kiss in Chicago is no longer a secret since the evidence of what happened, some tacky Polaroid, was left for Taylor to conveniently find when she got of the shower a while ago," Gabriella reported, as Chad 's jaw practically hit the ground. "Of course, as you can imagine, Taylor is devastated, hence the reason why she isn't in the mood to eat, drink and laugh it up at the barbecue."

"Wait…wait…a…a minute! Back up!" Chad stammered, unable to digest what he'd just been told. " Taylor was given a picture of me kissing Marissa in Chicago? By whom?"

"Don't try to deny it Chad. I saw it for myself and it was definitely you swapping spit with that man-eating witch whom, I'm more than positive, had to have been the one to sneak into Taylor's room at some point earlier today and left that nasty bit of proof that you basically cheated on her," Gabriella snapped, defending her best friend's honor at all costs.

"Cheated?!" Chad said beyond insulted. "On Taylor? Are you insanse? Not in a million years. Damn sure not with Marissa DeLeon!" 

That's when Chad realized he'd been played like the lottery, and that night during his stay in Chicago with Marissa and her parents came flooding back in horrible memory.

"Marissa told me she'd destroyed that picture," Chad explained, the words sounding stupid and unconvincing to his own ears. "She asked me to forgive her for setting me up the way she did."

"Well she obviously lied," Gabriella said rolling her eyes, disappointed that Chad could have been so foolish as to have ever believed anything Marissa might have said, told or promised him. "She lied and she plotted to have you think she'd destroyed it just so she could use it against you to hurt Taylor. And now she's succeeded."

That's when it really hit Chad all at once that while he was down here trying to explain what had happened to the best friend of the girl he was in love with, Taylor herself must be hurt and thinking all sorts of awful things about him and the future of their relationship.

Looking between Troy and Gabriella like his world was about to or already had come crashing down, Chad raced inside the house, all thoughts of a barbecue, senior weekend, or anything else the farthest things from his mind.

"Taylor! Taylor!" he yelled, rushing through the first floor of the house in a frantic search. "Where are you Taylor!"

Upstairs, the unexpected sound of her name being shouted had startled Taylor from her somber mood. When she realized it was Chad, who was now on the stairs heading her way, she jumped up from the bed and ran to close and lock her bedroom door just as he made it to the second-floor landing.

The rapid knocks and pleading immediately followed.

"Taylor you've got to listen to me. Please. Don't allow Marissa's sick obsession with me ruin us. Talk to me. Please, just talk to me."

"Go away Chad. Just leave me alone!" Taylor yelled, as the tears she'd been holding back since seeing that awful picture began to fall.

"I'm not going anywhere until we talk. I don't care if I have to stand at this door the entire weekend!" Chad vowed, his voice strained and desperate. "If you think I'm about to let Marissa come between us, think again. I'm not budging."

"What's the point? That picture told me all I need to know!"

"Baby that picture was a lie and you know it! That witch tricked me into that kiss and had someone waiting to capture it on film. I swear to you that being with her in anyway was not something I wanted or planned!"

"So you're saying she just kicked your hotel door in and jumped on top of you? Yeah Chad! How stupid do you think I am?" Taylor demanded, her anger rising as the tears continued to spill. "She never would have been in your room in the first place if you had not let her in of your own free will!"

"I had to let her in my room Tay but it wasn't how you think. The girl was standing in the hall in the middle of the night pathetically scratching on my door like a groupie. I didn't want any attention because of the way she was carrying on so I let her in," Chad explained, now tears of his own starting form.

"And once she tricked her way inside she what? Attacked you?"

"Hell yes she attacked me! And if you want the whole truth, she did it twice!" Chad confessed, not caring that he wasn't helping his cause only that it was all out in the open once and for all.

"Twice!" Taylor screamed. "You let that girl put her hands and lips on you more than once?"

"Hello! I didn't let her do anything. There is a big difference between being attacked and being a willing participant. Didn't you of all people just learn that from dealing with Julian? Marissa's cousin? Isn't that how it was just yesterday at Thanksgiving?" Chad reminded, hating how they were so at odds over the last two people who deserved even a minute of their time or caring.

The statement about Julian struck a chord in Taylor who, although still crying, had been faced with an undeniable truth that, if she were being fair, removed most if not all of the blame from Chad.

He was absolutely right. What was the difference between what Julian had done to her, twice, versus what he claimed Marissa had done to him? Photographic proof?

In Taylor 's case, Kelsi had been her eyewitness account of Julian's unseemly behavior. Did the fact that she had a living breathing person there to corroborate her side of things, to admit that she did not lead Julian on or willingly participate in his advances on her make her situation more acceptable or understandable than what Chad was trying to convince her of so desperately right now?

Taylor laid her head against the door and sighed. What was worse, the more she regained rational thought, was the fact that she really didn't have a right to be so angry with Chad about keeping what happened in Chicago a secret, when he still didn't know about Julian attacking her in Mr. Wilson's class the day before Thanksgiving.

Suddenly, everything went silent…Chad …Taylor ...everything.

Then came the sound of Troy's voice from the bottom of the stairs, where he and Gabriella had been standing the entire time their best friends had argued, feeling that it was now finally safe to speak.

"Hey Chad? Are you and Taylor okay?" he asked.

Walking over to the stairs as he wiped away his tears, Chad looked down and nodded.

"Yeah man. We're fine. Why don't you and Brie head on down to the barbecue. I'm sure the others are wondering where we are. Just tell them we'll be along in a minute."

"Are you sure?" Troy double-checked.

"Yeah. I'm sure. I think the bulk of the storm has passed," Chad answered, believing his words to be true.

"Okay. We'll go then," Troy said, taking Gabriella's hand ready to leave.

Chad watched them start to walk away and was about to head back to dealing with Taylor, when Gabriella dropped Troy's hand and ran to the bottom of the stairs again.

"Chad?" she said in a soft voice, the anger there before now gone.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so mean and judgmental toward you," Gabriella apologized. "I know better than anyone how much you love Taylor."

"No worries Brie. You're still my girl," he said giving her a thumbs up.

"Thanks Chad," Gabriella said with a relieved smile.

"Correction buddy…she's still my girl," Troy laughed as Gabriella rejoined him at the door.

Both waved up at him and then they were gone.

Chad resumed his mission to get to Taylor who had said nothing in the last few minutes but still remained out of his reach. He knocked on her door again, only this time he felt hopeful they'd be okay and that so this too would pass.

"Tay ? Can I come in now? Can we finally talk about this like we talk about everything else? Together…face-to-face."

There was another moment of silence and the fear that he'd been wrong, that she was going to continue shutting him out literally and emotionally crept over Chad once more. Then, like a miracle, he heard the lock on the door turn and the next thing he knew there she was standing before him.

She wanted to say something to let him know that she had been wrong and that she believed him but all Taylor could do was throw herself into his arms, hold on tight, and never ever let go. It was all Chad needed as he held her back with all his might, the both of them standing in the middle of the room like two people who couldn't bear to be without the other for now and always.

As they stood swaying against one another, letting everything they felt for one another fuse them together mind, body, heart and soul, Chad and Taylor, to their great surprise started to laugh. In fact, they laughed so loud and hard wrapped in each other's arms that had someone seen them together they would have assumed they had just shared the greatest joke in history.

"Wow! That was a huge one wasn't it?" Taylor was the first to speak, referring to their fight. "We really went at it didn't we?"

"Yep, we sure did," Chad agreed. "I was so terrified that I was on the verge of losing you for good."

"So was I," Taylor confessed. "When I saw that picture I just lost it even though I knew deep down inside it had to be a lie."

"Had to be and is," Chad assured her with complete sincerity. "After the way we fought right before I went on that trip, the last thing I wanted to do was come home and tell you something like that. I figured I had taken care of things and that it was a done deal. Boy was I stupid."

Taylor pulled back from their embrace, looked him in the eye and this kissed him with her whole heart.

"You aren't anymore stupid when it comes to Marissa than I was with Julian," she said. "Twice too by the way."

Chad looked at her confused. "What do you mean twice Tay?"

"I mean that Thanksgiving wasn't the first time Julian attacked me, just like his cousin attacked you. The day before he'd come on to me in Mr. Wilson's class. It was awful. If it weren't for Kelsi walking by and seeing the whole thing and coming in to put a stop to it I don't know what would have happened."

"Why that..." Chad began but Taylor stopped him.

"I know. And I should have told you. I was just so scared of what you might do to him if you knew the truth.

"I would have killed him that's what. I know that's how I felt when he pulled that stunt at Thanksgiving," Chad confessed. "If Troy hadn't been around I might have actually gone through with it."

"Exactly, which is why I'm glad Troy was there for you the same way Kelsi was there for me and why I kept what happened before a secret. Chad...Marissa and Julian are dangerous for us. They are the kind of people who could drive us to ruin our own lives just to be rid of them."

"Oh you better believe we are going to be rid of them both once and for all Tay," Chad stated so calmly it was scary. "This I promise you is the absolute last time either one of them does or says anything to harm our relationship in any way. I mean it."

Taylor drew him back into her arms, her love for him overwhelming. After a few moments they went and sat down on the bed, both knowing in their hearts that from that day forward nothing and no one would ever come between them again. A calming peace stole over them and the next thing they knew they were in each others arms again kissing. At first it was warm, soft and tender but it soon escalated into a full blown passion that neither one could or wanted to control.

They both fell backward onto the bed, their lips hungrier than they'd ever been before. Then, to Chad's total surprise, Taylor moved on top of him and started to lift his shirt from his pants. He reached for her hands and stopped them.

"Taylor, we don't have to do this" he said, his voice strained, his heart racing a mile a minute. "I love you and want to be with only you. That's what's most important to me."

She smiled down at him, perfectly aware of what she was doing and what she wanted.

"I love you too Chad. And now I know beyond a shadow of any doubt just how much. There will never be anyone for me but you. Never. That's why I want to give you all of me."

Chad gulped nervously. "All of you?"

Taylor nodded. "All of me. I want to show you how deep my love for you is Chad in every way possible. Will you let me?"

Their eyes were locked upon the other's face so intensely that neither one blinked. Then their lips came together again slowly, both feeling a joy they'd never known. Everything and everyone else completely disappeared for them and all that remained were their hearts giving, blending and melting until they were at last truly one.

It wasn't until the barbecue was nearly over, that Coach and Mrs. Bolton noticed that two in their party to be chaperoned were missing. Going over to the table where their son and his friends had spent most of the afternoon sitting, eating and talking, Coach Bolton began asking questions.

"Troy, where are Taylor and Chad?"

"What do you mean dad?" he asked, while feeding Gabriella a piece of fruit from his plate.

"I mean where are Taylor and Chad? I haven't seen them all afternoon," Coach Bolton stated, hoping the tone of his voice would pull his son's attention away from the pretty brunette at his side. "Did they even come to the barbecue?"

"Of course they came. They must be around here somewhere," Troy replied, still giving Gabriella the majority of his focus.

"No, I don't see them anywhere at all," his father pointed out as he scanned the crowd of teenagers milling about. "They do know...you all know...that you aren't allowed to be off by yourselves without permission from a chaperone right?"

"We definitely know that Coach Bolton," Sharapy jumped in for a save that she sensed was needed without knowing why. "I saw Taylor and Chad a little while ago stuffing themselves with food. I think Taylor may have overdid it. I believe I heard Chad say he was going to walk her back to the lodge so she could lay down."

"Oh really?" Coach said, not totally convinced that Sharpay was telling him the truth. "Well if that's true then maybe I should go get the nurse and have her check on Taylor just to make sure everything's alright."

"Umm...no...I'm sure she's fine by now. Probably resting up for the softball game later," Sharpay said a bit nervously. "We're headed back to the lodge now ourselves so we can check on her for you to make sure she's okay, which I'm sure she is."

"Fine. But I'm sending Ms. Phillips along with all of you so she can report back to me herself. The last thing we need is for someone to be ill and not know about it until it's too late."

"Absolutely," Sharpay agreed, as Zeke, Troy, Gabriella and the others began tossing their plates into the trash.

Coach Bolton looked around and found Ms. Phillips chatting away with Mrs. Darbus and her husband. He signaled her over.

"Lorraine would you please escort my son and his friends back to our lodge site," he asked, still feeling that something wasn't quite right. "And while you're there, please check on Taylor for me?"

"Is something wrong with Miss McKessie?" Ms. Phillips asked instantly becoming alarmed.

"Well to be honest I'm not really sure. Sharpay here claims that Taylor may have eaten something that didn't agree with her and isn't feeling her best at the moment. Supposedly, Chad took her back to the lodge to lay down."

"Oh my. Why of course I'll check on Taylor as soon as possible. Come on everyone lets get going," Ms. Phillips instructed as if the group were a bunch of fifth graders instead of high school seniors.

"What's going on?" Kelsi whispered to Ryan, Zeke, Sharpay and Jason as they fell in line behind their teacher. "Is Taylor okay?"

Troy and Gabriella were walking in front of them just a little behind Ms. Phillips, and turned to their friends.

"Chad and Taylor had a fight earlier and needed to be alone to work things out is all," Gabriella whispered back. "Everything is fine now I'm sure."

"A fight? Over what?" Sharpay probed in a low voice.

"It's not important. Just make sure that if it looks like they need covering for we see that it's done," Troy advised softly. "The last thing we need is for the two of them to get into trouble over nothing."

"Well after the way your father was asking questions, we'd better see to it that none of us breaks the "too long out of a chaperone's sight" rule from here on out," Sharpay sugggested firmly. "That's a major no-no that could get people sent home."

When the group finally arrived back at the lodge site 10 minutes later, Ms. Phillips' radar up and at the ready just as Coach Bolton had strongly recommended, they found Chad and Taylor sitting on the steps of the girls' building holding hands and talking.

"Are you feeling better Miss McKessie?" Ms. Phillips inquired, rushing up to where they sat, both dreamy-eyed and wearing goofy grins on their faces.

"Umm...excuse me Ms. Phillips?" Taylor asked, barely able to take her attention away from Chad.

"Are you feeling better dear? Coach Bolton was concerned that you might have eaten something at the barbecue that made you ill. He personally asked that I check on you and report your condition back to him."

"But we were't at the..." Chad began but stopped when he saw Troy flagging him down behind her back and mouthing the word no.

"What was that Mr. Danforth?" Ms. Phillips asked, now directing her attention on him instead of Taylor.

"Oh...well...ummm...yes she was feeling a little sick to her stomach...and I offered to walk her back to lay down for a while. But she's fine now. Mamam," Chad replied, hoping he gave the right answer.

"I'm glad to hear that. However, the next time someone needs assistance, you need to let one of the chaperones know so we can handle things as per protocol," Ms. Phillips informed in a motherly fashion.

"Yes mamam. Sorry, it was my fault. I should have thought to do that before I asked Chad to bring me back," Taylor advised, wanting to laugh so hard she could barely stand it.

"Very well Ms. McKessie. No harm done. Now why don't you all take some downtime for yourselves before the softball game begins in an hour or so," Ms. Phillips suggested, relieved that there was nothing for her to be concerned about any longer. "I'm going to be in my lodge if anyone needs anything. Coach Bolton, Mrs. Bolton and Mr. Wilson should be along shortly."

"Sure thing Ms. P," Jason answered for the group, causing them all to give him the "look" as they usually had to do in Darbus' class when he seemed to be unintentionally sucking up. "Anything happens, you'll be the first to know."

"Why thank you Jason," Ms. Phillips said as she gave them all the once over and then walked away.

When she'd finally gone inside, everyone looked at each other and then fell out laughing.

"Okay, what in the heck was that all about?" Chad asked when he was finally able to catch his breath, knowing he and Taylor had somehow barely missed escaping trouble.

"That was about the fact that neither you or McKessie were present at the barbecue," Sharpay replied, going to take a seat on one of the plush lounge chairs behind them with Zeke in tow. "You have no idea how we had to cover for you two with Coach Bolton who was laying down a major inquisition."

"Yeah you guys, what happened to you?" Kelsi asked, as she, Ryan and Jason, followed Sharpay and Zeke up onto the deck to sit as well. "I almost started to get worried myself."

"Oh I'm sorry Kel," Taylor aplogized. "We didn't mean to make anyone worry or get into trouble. Chad and I were just talking and lost track of time."

"Yeah...we just lost track of time," Chad said with a huge grin, as he leaned in to give Taylor a kiss that brought a blush to her cheeks.

"Well the next time you two decide to lose track of time it could very well be your one-way ticket back home," Sharpay reminded them sternly. "Like I already told everyone else, do not go without being under supervision too long. It's makes the grown-ups nervous."

"No worries Shar," Gabriella said, enjoying the sight of happiness glowing on Chad's and Taylor's faces. "We all promise to be good boys and girls from here on out."

"Yep, cross our hearts," Troy said, crossing his heart and laughing.

"Well just make sure of that because we've still got two more days of senior weekend to enjoy and I don't want anyone breaking any rules that could mess with that," Sharpay warned.

"Aye! Aye! Seargent Evans," Gabriella teased, giving her friend a salute, before winking at Chad and Taylor.

"So tell me..." Troy began, ready to change the subject as he came up behind Gabriella and put his arms around her waist. "Just how badly are we planning to beat the team we're up against in the softball game?"


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Just like everything else exciting, fun and unforgettable during that first day of senior weekend, the evening's softball game, pitting the Wildcat basketball players against the Wildcat football players, was no exception.

As the sun's firey streaks of reddish-gold brillance slowly melted into night, Troy, Chad, Jason, and Zeke, along with their fellow teammates, were kicking butt and taking names. Up in the stands, Gabriella, Taylor and Sharpay were on their feet loudly cheering them on with Ryan and Kelsi by their side.

The atmosphere, charged with rowdy exhilaration for both players and spectators alike, only added to the evening's enjoyment right to the very end, when the basketball team defeated the football team, emerging victorious when all was said and done.

Allowing the guys time to revel in their win, the girls waited until some of the macho pursuits of hi-fiving, back slapping, and shouting died down, before rushing onto the field to offer their own congratulations.

"You were great!" Taylor screamed, jumping into Chad's open arms, as he laughed and spun her around.

"Definitely the best of the best!" Gabriella shouted, pouncing on Troy from behind to give him a hug piggyback style.

Sharpay simply walked up to a smiling Zeke, wrapped her arms around him, and planted a kiss so amazing that it left him completely breathless.

Kelsi and Ryan also came down from the stands at the same time Jason walked over to join in on the celebration.

"We so rule!" Chad said, reluctantly putting Taylor down. "Brad and his boys still can't figure out what hit them."

Troy nodded. "Yep! The mighty Wildcat football captain will be licking his wounds for quite a while after the beat down we just served."

"You know it!" Zeke chimed in, taking off his baseball cap and placing it on Sharpay's head before kissing her cheek sweetly.

"So, does this mean we finally have our boyfriends back for the night?" Gabriella asked, legs wrapped around Troy's middle, her arms firmly clasped about his neck. "I mean we do still have the carnival and dance to attend."

"We're all yours," Chad promised with a knowing wink in Taylor's direction. "But don't forget, we've got a date with a jacuzzi later in case anyone forgot."

"I didn't forget," Zeke said, eagerly glancing sideways at Sharpay. "Definitely looking foward to spending time with my girl in some warm bubbling water."

"Us too!" Troy and Chad laughed together.

"Yeah, but what about the whole chaperone thing? Won't we get into trouble if we just skip out and there is no adult supervision around?" Kelsi asked, the voice of reason.

"We'll just have to worry about that when the time comes," Gabriella stated, climbing off Troy's back and taking his hand. "Our lucks been pretty good so far so lets just see what opportunity presents itself in our favor."

"And what if one doesn't?" Zeke wondered. "I've been looking forward to us having our own private party ever since Chad made the suggestion."

"No worries dude," Troy said, not the least bit concerned. "We're pretty clever when we have to be. We'll figure something out."

"Absolutely," Chad agreed. "For now lets just worry about changing and getting to the carnival before they run out of corn dogs, cotton candy and prizes."

_An Hour And A Half Later..._

Troy, along with Gabriella and Taylor, was standing at the basketball free-throw booth watching Chad make one shot after another, when he spotted his parents who looked as if they were saying good night to some of the other chaperones.

"I'll be right back," he whispered into Gabriella's ear, rushing off just as Chad handed a prize won teddy bear to Taylor.

Arm-in-arm, Jack and Lucy Bolton where starting to walk away from Mrs. Darbus, Principal Matthews and Mr. Wilson, when they both saw their son's anxious approach.

"Hey sweetie, you and and the gang having a good time?" Mrs. Bolton asked, her voice on the sleepy side.

"Hi mom. Hi dad. Yeah, we're all having a blast," Troy answered. "Looks like you two are heading in for the night?"

"We are," his father said, stifling a yawn. "Your mother and I are bushed. It's been a really long day and, unfortunately, we aren't as young as we used to be."

"No we are not," Lucy Bolton agreed, her head leaning against her husband's shoulder. "All I want to do right now is take a nice hot shower and crawl into bed before we have to start all over again tomorrow."

"Guess it's pretty tough work being chaperones huh?" Troy joked.

"Way more than being a coach of a basketball team that's for sure," Jack Bolton stated, another yawn slipping out.

"Well would it be okay if we all came back with you?" Troy asked hopefully. "Everyone wants to chill in the jacuzzi...you know...hang out by ourselves for the rest of the night."

"But I thought you just said you were all having fun?" Mrs. Bolton questioned with a hint of puzzled concern. "And what about the dance? It's going to start in another 15 minutes. Don't you guys want to go?"

"Of course we're having fun mom. The best. This whole day has been nothing but totally amazing. Beyond any of our wildest dreams. But like you and dad, we're all a little worn out, especially after the softball game. We just want some quiet time for us. You know what I mean?"

Coach Bolton nodded. "I hear you. After running around a baseball field for the last two hours, who needs another few dancing your feet off right?"

"Right. And since we can't be out of the vicinity of chaperones..."

"It would be nice to be in a warm jacuzzi with Gabriella and your friends to celebrate the end of your amazing day," Mrs. Bolton finished his sentence for him.

"Exactly," Troy smiled.

"Well I don't know how much chaperoning we'll be able to do when we're both fast asleep, but as long as you all don't disturb anyone else, I suppose it's okay," Coach Bolton stated, agreeing to his son's proposition.

"Great. I'll go tell the others," Troy said dashing off as quickly has he had arrived.

When he went back in search of Gabriella, Taylor and Chad, he found that they had moved to another booth where they were now watching Zeke trying to pitch rings onto bottle necks to win a prize for Sharpay.

"Hey everybody, awesome news," Troy said coming up to Gabriella's side. "My folks are heading back for the night and they said it was cool for us to hang out in the jacuzzi, just as long as we aren't too rowdy."

"You're speaking my language man," Zeke replied, just as one of the rings he threw connected with a bottle, and a smiling Sharpay was handed a cute little giraffe dressed in pink for his efforts.

"Way to go Troy," Chad exclaimed, putting his arm around Taylor who was munching on cotton candy. "I say we jet out of here ASAP."

"Me too," Gabriella agreed, excited that the chaperone/jacuzzi issue had worked out fine, just as she knew it would.

"Wait, what about Jason, Ryan and Kelsi?" Troy asked, noticing that they weren't anywhere around. "We need to let them know the plan is still on."

"Oh don't worry about those three," Sharpay said, tucking her prized giraffe under her arm. "Seems they want to stay a while longer and are looking foward to the dance. Jason's been talking with Marcie Andrews for the last half hour and they look pretty chummy so I think the four of them won't miss us at all."

"Oh, okay then. I guess it's just the six of us off to enjoy," Troy said, grabbing Gabriella's hand as the others fell behind them.

"Man, I can't wait to get you cuddled up next to me in that warm bubbly water," Chad whispered into Taylor's ear as she finger-fed him a piece of her cotton candy. "Ever since this afternoon...you know...us being together...it's all I've been thinking about."

"Ditto for me," Taylor said with a sexy smile, remembering how special their being together had been and how much more she and Chad loved each other because of what had happened. "This entire day has been like a fairytale for the most part. One that I don't want to end."

"Well, there's still more of the fairytale to come Princess McKessie," Chad promised mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh you'll see," was all that Chad would say, as the sounds of the carnival began to grow faint the farther away they walked.

Half-way to their point of destination they unexpectedly ran into Marissa, Brad and some of their friends coming from the opposite direction. There was a tense moment of silence as the two groups passed, eyeing one another cautiously.

Seeing Chad and Taylor looking happier than ever, realizing that her picture scheme devised to break them up for good had obviously failed, Marissa whispered something hateful to her group, which made those around her laugh.

Instinctively knowing that she was being talked about even without hearing the words for herself Taylor, to everyone's surprise, especially Chad's, suddenly broke away from her own friends, ran a short way up the path, and grabbed Marissa by the arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing McKessie?!" Marissa hissed trying to free her arm from the iron grip of someone who'd finally had enough.

"I'm doing what should have been done a long time ago," Taylor said as she hauled off and did to Marissa what her own sister Angelina had promised to do the other night, which was to practically slap the taste out of her mouth.

"Ooooooooooh!" cried Taylor's friends, eyes growing wide as saucers, unable to believe that she'd done something so out of character but loving it just the same.

Marissa stumbled backward, lucky that Brad was close enough to break her fall to the ground.

"Are you crazy Taylor!" he shouted, shocked by her actions. "Why in the hell did you attack Marissa for no reason?"

Taylor laughed in his face. "For no reason? Cry me a freakin river why don't you Brad. That girl had it coming and she knows exactly why. I don't appreciate her sneaking into my room and leaving her trash for me to find. From here on out she better stay out of my way or else."

By then Chad, Troy, Zeke, Sharpay and Gabriella had come running up to Taylor's side. Chad took her hand and tried to pull her away.

"Come on baby. She's not worth it."

"No she's not," Taylor spat, her eyes glaring daggers at Marissa who was holding her face in furious shock. "But I'm sick of her and her twisted little attempts to ruin our relationship. Now she knows I'm not putting up with it anymore and so does everyone else."

Marissa regained some of her composure but the rage in her eyes was undeniable.

"You may think you've won Taylor McKessie but just know that I'm not done with you. Not by a longshot."

"Oh really. Well guess what you conniving little witch, I'm done with you. Stay out of my face and keep away from my boyfriend," Taylor warned not the least bit intimidated by Marissa's threat, as she took Chad's hand and marched off.

Zeke, Troy, Gabriella, and Sharpay started to snicker as they too turned their backs on the long overdue scene, each of them proud of their friend's taking a stand after months of Marissa's unwarranted harassment.

"That's some right hook you got there," Chad teased, as Taylor started to calm back down. "Remind me never to cross you in any way."

"Oh stop," Taylor laughed at the pride he wore on his face at her having finally stuck up for them, their relationship and most importantly herself. "Come on, we've got some fun to get too."

When they all finally arrived back at their lodge site, they found that Troy's parents had already gotten the jacuzzi going for them. There was also a table set up with drinks snacks, and towels along with a note in Mrs. Bolton's writing telling them to have a good time, too keep the noise down, and not to stay up too late.

"Your folks rock man," Zeke said impressed. "They took the time to get the party started for us."

"Yeah I have to agree they are pretty amazing when they want to be," Troy admitted proudly.

"So what are we doing standing around wasting time for? Let's get to it," Chad eagerly suggested, watching Taylor take Gabriella by the arm as they and Sharpay went to change into their swimsuits.

While inside their own lodge putting on swim trunks, Troy, Chad, and Zeke all decided that now was the perfect time to give the girls the bracelets they'd gotten for them as presents since the perfect romantic opportunity was at hand. Each bracelet was boxed with a card and placed inside a shimmering gold gift bag, which they made sure to hide underneath the towels before Sharpay, Gabriella and Taylor joined them outside.

Fifteen minutes later, all submerged in the luxurious rippling water beneath a clear moonlit sky, laughing and talking about the wonderful day they'd had and how tomorrow was going to be even better. Each held a glass of sparkling cider in hand giving Gabriella the idea for them to make a toast.

"Hey guys listen up," she giggled, as her body swayed in the water, gentle bumping up against Troy. "I really think we need to toast to the fantastic day we've had and to raise our glasses in salute to Sharpay and Ryan too for allowing us to spend our senior weekend in the best place on earth. I don't think anyone before or after is ever going to have the awesome experience we've all been so fortunate to share in. So here's to Colton's Bay, a senior weekend to remember, the Evans', friendship and our final year at East High. Long live Wildcats to the end!"

"Long live Wildcats to the end!" everyone else cheered as they raised their glasses high and clinked them together.

After drinking down their glasses of cider, Troy signaled for Chad and Zeke to get out of the jacuzzi, much to their girlfriends' surprise.

"Where are you guys going?" Taylor asked, trying to figure out what the three of them were up too.

"Yeah, what gives?" Gabriella questioned.

"You'll see," Zeke replied, with a knowing look in Troy and Chad's direction.

"This had so better not be some awful practical joke," Sharpay warned, although her curiosity was definitely peaked as to what they had up their sleeves.

"Its not. Trust us," Troy assured them as he grabbed each of the gift bags from underneath the towels and handed one to Chad and then Zeke.

"Ooooh look. Presents girls," Gabriella exclaimed. "One for each of us."

"That's right presents," Troy said with a huge smile. "Come up out of the water for a second so you can see what they are."

Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay raised themselves out of the jacuzzi as each was handed a gift bag by their boyfriend.

"This is so sweet of you," Taylor said excitedly. "But you really didn't have too."

"Yes they did," Sharpay said, practically snatching her gift from Zeke's hand, anxious to see what was inside.

As the girls began rummaging through the tissue paper, Troy, Chad and Zeke looked on, silently patting themselves on the back. The boxes soon emerged in hand. One by one, they were opened and then came the ooohs and awws as Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay stared admiringly at the lovely tiny diamoned bracelets bearing their names.

"I love it!" Gabriella shouted, throwing her arms around Troy.

"So do I!" Taylor exclaimed, leaning over to kiss Chad lovingly.

"It's perfect," cooed Sharpay as she held hers out for Zeke to fasten to her arm.

"When did you guys find the time to do this?" Gabriella asked.

"We've been planning it for a while," Troy explained, enjoying the way his girl had her arm outstretched admiring her bracelet from every angle.

"We just wanted you ladies to know how much we appreciate you and how having you in our lives makes us better," added Zeke, who now had Sharpay cuddled up against him.

"Zeke's right," Chad agreed his heart in his eyes as he gazed upon Taylor's glowing smile. "So much so that I have something else I want to share."

"Oh really? Like what?" Troy asked, unaware of what his friend was talking about.

"Like this," Chad answered, grabbing Taylor's discarded gift bag and reaching inside to pull out a smaller black velvet box that she'd overlooked.

"What is it?" Taylor wondered, taking her second present in hand as everyone's eyes fell upon her.

"Just open it," Chad advised, his eyes intensely serious.

Doing as instructed, Taylor flipped the top and then sat there with her mouth hanging open completely speechless. Nestled in the center of a tiny swath of black cloth sat a beautiful antique diamond ring almost identical to her bracelet. Everyone gasped in shocked. Taylor herself didn't know what to say as she looked at Chad completely puzzled. But he did.

"Taylor McKessie I love you with all my heart," he began as their friends sat in mesmerized silence. "We've known each other since we were kids and it hasn't always been an easy relationship. But we're not kids anymore and nobody else means more to me than you. You are my best friend, my light, my warmth, my everything. Nobody makes me happier than you do every second of every day. I know some may think we are too young to commit ourselves to one another for life but I don't. It's what I want more than anything and always will...you...in my life...from now until. Please say that you'll accept this ring and marry me."

A collective gasp of utter shock came forth from Zeke, Sharpay, Gabriella and Troy, as Taylor looked as if she were about to pass out from sheer happiness.

"You're...you're...asking me to become your wife?" she stammered, as Chad nodded taking her left hand in his and placing the ring on her third finger. "Are you serious?"

"That's exactly what I'm asking Tay. Please say yes."

"Chad Danforth are you out of your mind?" Sharpay interrupted, finding the ability to speak again. "You and Taylor are too young to get married. Heck, you're not even 18 yet."

"Be quiet Shar," Zeke said, giving her a stern look that had her shutting her mouth immediately. "This is about them not you or anyone else."

"He's right Sharpay," Gabriella agreed, equally stunned and happy at being apart of such a very special moment in her best friend's life.

Chad was still staring at Taylor waiting for an answer, while Taylor stared back and forth between him and the ring, her heart pounding.

"Are...you...really sure about this?" she asked once again, still unable to comprehend that this wasn't a dream.

"More than I'll probably be about anything ever again," Chad assured her. "You complete me Taylor and our being together is all that matters. I know we can't marry right now but, once we've both turned 18 and graduate, there's nothing and no one who can stand in our way."

Tears began to slowly fall as Taylor's whole face lit up with a smile filled with immeasurabe joy.

"Yes Chad Danforth. I'll marry you," she said laughing with happiness, falling into his arms as Zeke, Troy and Gabriella all began applauding with Sharpay taking a moment to get over her disapproval before she too joined in as well.

"Wow! Never saw that one coming," Troy joked, still unable to believe what his best friend had just done. "Congratulations you two. I'm here for you always."

"We're all here for you," Gabriella chimed in, feeling tears of her own starting to come as she basked in the happiness of two people who truly belonged together.

"I'm sorry for sounding like a killjoy," Sharpay apologized, now that she'd gotten used to the idea. "It was a shock at first to be sure, but I have to admit that was the most beautiful and romantic thing I've ever witnessed."

"Me too," Zeke said with a sigh. "You definitely deserve all the happiness you can get."

"Thanks everybody," Chad said, Taylor's head now laid against his shoulder, their hearts supremely full. "But I need to ask you all a favor."

"Sure buddy. Anything," Troy said, ready to do whatever he asked.

"I want this to be a secret just between all of us for now. I know both of our parents aren't going to like the idea at all and may try to talk us out of it and I don't want to give them the chance. My birthday's in a few months and soon after Taylor's will come around and we'll both legally be able to do what we want. Until then, I'd rather we not say anything to anyone at this point."

"I agree," Taylor said, realizing that her folks had plans of their own for her, none of which included a marriage right out of high school. "Nobody else can know about this so you all have to swear to keep it to yourselves."

"We swear," Gabriella vowed, as Troy, Zeke and Sharpay nodded in agreement to their little pact. "Wild horses couldn't drag it out of us."

"Should we keep this from Ryan, Kelsi and Jason too?" Sharpay asked.

"Yeah, I think it's best," Chad admitted. "The six of us knowing for right now is enough. Anymore people in on the secret might make it that much more difficult to keep private. When the time is right we'll tell them everything, just like our folks and anyone else who needs to know."

"Done," Troy stated, holding out his hand for Chad to shake on it.

"And here I thought this weekend couldn't get any more amazing," Gabriella joked, causing them all to laugh. "I think this calls for another toast."

"Here, here!" the others cheered, as Zeke went to get more sparkling cider.

After the big annoucement and Taylor's acceptance of Chad's proposal, she put her ring away for safe keeping, and they all got back in the jacuzzi to finish where they had left off. There had never been a more perfect time in their lives or a more perfect night. Everyone felt invincible and eager for the future that lay ahead believing that dreams and miracles were possible no matter what.

A short time later, Jason, Kelsi and Ryan appeared and joined the party, as the others kept their promise and leaked not a word of Taylor and Chad's engagement. Mr. Wilson and Ms. Phillips came a long an hour later and advised that it was getting late and that they all should think about retiring for the night which, to their surprise, they didn't receive an argument against.

As everyone vacated the jacuzzi and started to gather up their things, Chad pulled Taylor aside and asked her to meet him in a half an hour after everyone had gone to bed. Because Kelsi didn't know about what had happened that night, Sharpay and Gabriella, who wanted nothing more than to talk about Taylor's ring and engagement, simply said their good nights once inside and decided to put off that particular discussion for the following day, when they were able to find some time alone.

When everyone had gone to their rooms and the lights were out, Taylor slipped back into a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and jacket, and tipped toed downstairs for her rendevous with Chad who, as promised, was waiting for her outside.

"Come on," he said, taking Taylor's hand as they walked a few yards away to a private little clearing overlooking the lake.

Stopping at a small stone bench, Chad scooped up a beautiful bouquet of red roses and handed them to the girl he loved.

"And how did these get here?" Taylor asked inhaling the fragrant blossoms. "Magic?"

Chad laughed. "Yeah. Money magic. I paid one of the staff members to get them for me."

"Their beautiful baby, thank you," Taylor said leaning in for a kiss.

"No Tay, you're beautiful," Chad said, his heart overwhelmed with love for her. "I still can't believe you said yes to my proposal."

"Well I can't believe you even did something like that. And in front of everyone too."

"Happy?" Chad asked, taking her in his arms, trying not to crush the bouquet between them.

"So happy that I still think I must be dreaming," Taylor sighed.

"Well you aren't," Chad reassured. "I want you to be my wife no matter how many people think we're too young or too crazy to go through with it."

"Baby...I wanted to ask...where'd you get the money for such a gorgeous ring in addition to whatever you must have spent on that amazing bracelet?"

Chad smiled and reached up a hand to caress Taylor's cheek. "My grandmother Danforth sent it to me. I called her up a month ago and we had a long talk. I told her what I wanted to do and she said that if I was sure in my heart that she would help me any way she could. Next thing I knew she sent me her engagement ring. The very one my grandfather put on her finger when he asked her to marry him, also at age 18."

"Wow! That's incredible that she would do something so selfless. To give you her own ring to give to me?"

"I know," Chad agreed. "It blew me away too. But my Nana is an amazing woman and she believes in true love. She's very anxious to meet you when she comes out to visit for Christmas."

"Really? Well I defnitely can't wait to meet her and to say thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"That's great to hear. I see the two of you becoming very close. So...now that we are officially engaged and all, how about you and me have our own little celebration to mark the occassion," Chad suggested with a smile.

"And just what did you have in mind Mr. Danforth?" Taylor asked with a sly grin of her own.

"Well the future Mrs. Danforth, I was hoping you'd join me for an early morning horseback ride before you go pick out our costumes for the masquarade ball prior to breakfast. I already checked with the stable manager who said he can have two horses waiting for us at say...5:00 a.m.?"

"Sounds heavenly," Taylor sighed. "I'm there."

"Good," Chad smiled. "Now, not to be a party pooper, but it's getting late and I think we'd better head back inside so we can both try to get some sleep."

He took Taylor's hand and turned to walk her back, when she stopped him.

"Chad...I just want you to know that you've made me the happiest person alive tonight. I can't even begin to tell you what loving you means to me or having you love me the way you do. I don't know what happens from here on out but I do know that you and only you will have my heart forever. I love you."

"I love you too Tay. It's you and me against the world and nothing and no one is gonna stop us from being together now or ever."

They gazed at each other with eyes filled with all the hope and promise in their hearts, before slowly melting into a kiss that consumed them from head to toe.

Both were so lost in being happier than either had ever known and in love beyond reason, that they were completely unaware that under the beauty of that moonlit night, they were being watched. Someone who hated them with every fiber of their being was, in that moment, vowing to destroy them and the happiness they'd found together.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Jason awoke from a fitfull sleep, his throat parched as the desert. In need of a drink of water, he wandered into the kitchen, his eyes still half open. When he went to return to his bed, he mistakenly entered the wrong door and found himself in Chad's room...only Chad wasn't there.

"Now where could he be at this time of morning?" Jason wondered aloud, not sure if he needed to alert Troy, Zeke and Ryan that their friend was, for the moment, missing.

_Across The Way At The Girls Lodge..._

Sharpay opened her eyes with a grunt, a well manicured hand crashing down on the clock by her bed, ceasing the annoying beep of the alarm. Throwing back the covers, she made her way into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. There was a meeting with the chaperones at 6:30 a.m., and she had to be there to help get things coordinated for the farewell masquerade ball in the main lodge that night.

Pulling her hair up into a half-hearted ponytail, Sharpay slipped on some sweats and a t-shirt and decided to go to the kitchen and see if she could work the expresso machine on the counter to reproduce her favorite latte. As she walked into the living room, she glanced up to the second floor landing where Gabriella and Taylor's rooms were, and noticed that Taylor's door was standing wide open.

Thinking that she might have found some early morning company, Sharpay started up the stairs. When she approached the open door and looked inside, she was surprised to find that Taylor wasn't around.

"Now where in the world could that girl be at this time of morning?" Sharpay said aloud, not yet sure that her friend's absence meant something was wrong.

_The Horse Trail, 6:00 A.M._

"This place is beyond amazing?" Taylor sighed, as she and Chad sat atop their horses on a plateau overlooking the resort, the first glow of sunrise emerging on the horizon. "As long as I live, I will forever remember how special being here truly was for so many reasons."

"Senior weekend, getting engaged, our first time..." Chad said with a smile, happily going down the list of her reasons that were his reasons too. "Yep. Colton's Bay is definitely going to become a huge part of our family history. Some day we're going to tell our kids about this place and all the fond memories it holds for us."

"Kids?" Taylor said with a nervous laugh. "We're not even married yet and already you're talking kids?"

Chad laughed and leaned over in his saddle to kiss her. "Don't get scared Tay. I'm talking way down the line. Long after we've both graduated from college, brought a home, etc."

"Well I should hope so," Taylor said relieved that starting a family wasn't high on his priority list because for the near foreseeable future it definitely wasn't on hers. "We've got a lot of things to figure out before you and I become parents."

"Absolutely," Chad nodded. "Like how we're going to spring this on our folks and not have them try to commit us both to the nuthouse."

"That might be easier said than done," Taylor joked. "I'm just glad we agreed that for now, we need to keep our being engaged a secret. There are still six months left before we graduate and right now the most important things we should be worrying about is passing our SATs and getting accepted into the colleges of our choice."

"Colleges?" Chad said, sounding a bit worried. "I hadn't even thought about us not going to the same one. I mean what happens if we apply to all these different places but both us of don't get in together? Or I should say I don't get in because I know any place you apply will take you in heartbeat?"

Taylor seriously pondered his question for a moment. "You know that could happen, but try not to be too concerned about it. We'll wait and see which colleges we do get into together and then make our decision based on that."

"Yeah Tay, but what if..." Chad began, but was stopped by her shaking her head with a smile.

"Don't baby. We didn't come up here to start filling our minds with all sorts of what ifs. We'll have our share of decisions that will need to be made concerning our future together, but not all of them have to be solved right now. In fact, I don't want to solve them right now. All I want is to enjoy this wonderful moment in time knowing that you love me as much as I love you and how happy we are. Okay?"

"Okay," Chad agreed, letting his thoughts return to the here and now. "But just know we aren't done with this discussion. Not even close."

"Wow!" Taylor laughed.

"What?"

"You already sound like a husband Chad Danforth. It's giving me goosebumps."

Chad laughed. "Very funny Tay."

"No I mean it. I loved how authoritative you sounded just a minute ago," Taylor teased. "I can't wait until we have our first fight about bills, toothpaste caps being left off, and unlowered toilet seats. I'm getting turned on just thinking about it."

"You're crazy you know that," Chad cracked up at her making fun of him. "I just hope we find this funny when it really does happen some day."

"Probably not. At least not at first," Taylor admitted, suddenly dismounting her horse and walking it over to a large tree, where she began to tie up the reigns. "But hopefully, we'll recall having this conversation and it will get us to stop yelling at each other and laugh about the situation."

"Oh...aren't you a clever one Miss McKessie," Chad ackowledged, getting down from his own mount and walking it to stand beside hers. "Already figuring out ways to avoid future married couple disagreements. Pretty smart."

"Yes Mr. Danforth, you are marrying a very intelligent woman in case you hadn't noticed," Taylor advised, smiling as she pulled a blanket out of one of the knap sacks attached to her horse's saddle followed by a thermos of coffee.

"I can see that?" Chad noted, curious as to how she'd managed to procure two items he hadn't even thought of to bring along for their ride. "And do you mind telling me where the blanket and coffee came from?"

"Oh...well...Mr. James was very nice and mentioned that he'd packed them away for me before we left the stable," Taylor explained, handing Chad the blanket to lay out for them. "He said it's the least he takes out with him on the trail whenever he has to be up this early."

"Really? Then I guess I'll have to thank him for being so proactive on our behalf," Chad stated, reaching for Taylor's hand to pull her down beside him on the ground.

"Yes, that would be nice. However, I really think he deserves thanks for breaking the rules and allowing us up here without a chaperone. I mean...couldn't he get into big trouble if anyone found out that we went riding on our own?"

"Actually no," Chad explained, taking the top off the thermos and filling up one of the cups that had also magically appeared from Taylor's knap sack. "I took care of all that before he agreed to give us the horses."

"Oh really?" Taylor was intrigued. "And just how did you manage that one Mr. Roses On A Bench Under The Moonlight?"

Chad laughed at her making reference to the bouquet he'd had waiting for her the night before.

"It was easy really. I told him that I was interning for Mr. Evans all summer and that Sharpay, Ryan and I were really close friends. Said that Sharpay was the one who suggested we come out for an early morning ride and that she'd vouch for us if he had any questions."

"No you didn't!" Taylor exclaimed, taking a sip of her coffee. "You know darn well you didn't intern for Mr. Evans. And I definitely can attest that Sharpay knows nothing about us being out here this morning. Nobody does since they were all asleep when we left."

"Well, techically we all did in fact "intern" for Mr. Evans this past summer if you take into consideration that he owns Lava Springs and we held jobs there."

Taylor shook her head with a laugh. "You're just a mess Chad Danforth."

"True, but you love me anyway right?"

"More than anything," Taylor replied growing serious, as she laid her coffe cup down. "More than I ever thought possible."

A soothing quiet came over them both as they looked at one another with growing passion in their eyes. All joking for the moment was put aside. The next thing Chad knew, Taylor was unbuttoning her jacket seductively.

"So Chad," she began, smiling at him with womanly eyes. "Have you ever...you know...outside?"

Chad shook his head with a dumbstruck smile. "No. Never."

"Good," Taylor said, hovering over him as he laid back on the blanket, staring up at her face mesmerized. "I think we should get some more honeymoon practice in before we head back to the lodge. What do you say?"

His answer was in the slow loving kiss he gave as he pulled her down on top of him in a sweet surrender that said she could do with him as she pleased. And Taylor did just that.

It was nearly 7:30 a.m., when Chad and Taylor reappeared at the lodge site, arm-in-arm, glowing like the two happiest people God had ever created. They were glad to see that no one else was up yet as they kissed good-bye and promised to meet for breakfast in a little while.

When Taylor walked through the front door, the first thing she saw was Gabriella dressed in a robe, sitting in the living room like a parent who had waited up half the night for their child.

"Hey Brie," Taylor said with a huge grin, as she closed the door and went to join her friend on the couch. Kelsi and Sharpay were no where around.

"And just where have you been Taylor McKessie?" Gabriella demanded, sounding not the least bit pleased. "Do you have any idea how long I've been sitting here worrying about you? Don't even get me started on poor Sharpay. The girl almost didn't make her meeting with the chaperones this morning she was so concerned that something might have happened to you."

"What? Wait a minute...hold on for a second," Taylor said, not expecting this type of greeting. "Didn't you guys get the note I left for you on the kitchen counter?"

"Obviously not," Gabriella replied, her tone still annoyed but her heart filled with relief that her best friend was okay.

Taylor got up and went to the kitchen to look for the note she had left and found it on the floor unopened.

"See it's right here," she said bringing it back over for Gabriella to read. "I wrote it because I didn't want any of you to be worried."

"Oh...well...how were we suppose to know?" Gabriella stated, beginning to feel a bit foolish that she'd overreated. "All we had to go on was an empty bed and no you around."

Taylor smiled, not the least bit angry that her friend had blasted her for a simple mix-up.

"I'm sorry Brie. Truly. The last thing I wanted to do is make you or Sharpay worry. Please forgive me?"

Gabriella, after reading the note, looked at Taylor who was glowing like someone head over heels in love, her anger subsiding. She smiled.

"No, I'm sorry for jumping all over you. It's just that..."

"You were looking out for me like best friends do and I love you for it," Taylor stated, leaning in so they could share a hug.

"Forgive me?" Brie asked, feeling bad about her behavior.

"There's nothing to forgive. It's over and done," Taylor said, leaning back on the couch with a sigh. "I just hope Sharpay is as easy to win over as you were."

Gabriella laughed. "Oh she'll be okay. You know Shar."

"That I do," Taylor replied, suddenly feeling the need for a nice hot shower. "How long has she been gone?"

"Almost an hour. She should be back soon. Wants to take us over to the costume trailer so we can get first pick for the masquerade ball tonight."

"And Kelsi?" Taylor asked, relieving herself of her jacket. "She still asleep?"

"Yep," Gabriella nodded.

"Good. The last thing I need is to have all of my friends gang up on me after the wonderful morning I've just had," Taylor said, a dreamy smile appearing on her face.

"So I take it you were off somewhere with Chad right?" Gabriella pressed, ready to move on to juicy gossip now that she knew Taylor was safe. "Did you two love birds have fun?"

"We did and then some," Taylor blushed, remembering their time together. "He and I went for an early morning horseback ride. Brie it was awesome."

"I can tell," Gabriella said with a knowing smile. "You look like you are still up on cloud nine somewhere."

"Try cloud 15," Taylor joked. "I still can't believe that we got engaged last night. It just blows my mind."

"Mine too. I think Chad's proposal was probably an even bigger shock to Troy and Zeke, considering they didn't know anything about it before hand."

"Why do you say that?" Taylor wondered curiously.

"Oh you know...all for one and one for all...the whole team mentality thing. Those three have been friends for years and they talk about everything. I think this was the first time that one of them made a decision that wasn't put on the table for discussion before action was taken."

"Do you think their upset with Chad for not consulting with them on what he planned to do?"

"No, of course not. I just think it made them realize that they won't be apart of a team forever and that we all have to start thinking about our futures as individuals that's all," Gabriella explained.

"Well the idea of marriage certainly isn't kid's play that's for sure," Taylor readily admitted. "It's a lifelong commitment that neither Chad or I can take lightly."

"Exactly. You two getting engaged simply opened the door for me, Sharpay, Troy, and Zeke to realize that the next few months are going to be about far more than tests, parties and graduation. We have lives to plan and goals to accomplish and we need to be focused on what we want and how to go about getting it."

"Well aren't you just in an Oprah-like mood this morning," Taylor joked, happy to at last be able to spend some time talking with her best friend like she'd wanted to the night before. "I like it."

"I'm just so happy for you Tay. And Chad too. He loves you so much. I feel really honored that I could be apart of such an important moment in your life."

"Me too Brie," Taylor said sincerely. "And you have to know that when the big day finally comes that you and Troy will be standing up there right with us."

"Are you asking me to be your maid of honor Taylor McKessie?"Gabriella asked excitedly.

"Who else? I wouldn't dream of taking the vows without you standing by my side through the whole thing."

"I'd be honored," Gabriella exclaimed, pulling her friend into a heartfelt hug.

Just then Kelsi came out of her bedroom sleepy-eyed and yawning.

"Hey guys. What are you two doing up so early?"

Taylor and Gabriella looked at her, then each other, and without Kelsi understanding why, both suddenly fell out laughing.

_Across The Way..._

"So you've been out all this time with Taylor horseback riding?" Troy asked, leaning in the doorway of Chad's room.

"Yep. I wanted us to spend some alone time together before things got too hectic like yesterday," Chad stated, removing his shoes as he prepared to take a shower. "Knowing Sharpay she'll probably have us penciled in on her little schedule to be jumping out of a plane or something before lunch."

"Funny," Troy laughed. "But you might actually be on to something."

"God I hope not," Chad said, praying that he was truly overexagerrating about whatever plans Sharpay had in store for them. "Are the other guys up yet?"

"Nope. I mean Jason was earlier, he's the one who let me know you were gone. But I told him you probably went for a run or something and not worry so he went back to bed. Haven't heard a peep out of Ryan or Zeke."

"So you're the only one waiting up for me like the concerned parent?" Chad joked, now taking off his shirt.

"Just wanted to make sure you were okay that's all."

"I know. Thanks for looking out."

"No problem. I guess I won't have too much longer to do that will I?" Troy mused, sounding a little unlike himself.

"What do you mean?" Chad asked confused.

"Well you know. Now that you've made such a huge commitment to Taylor and all, basically having your future planned out, there won't be much "team" left for us once we all graduate in six months," Troy explained.

"Stop talking crazy man," Chad said with a smile. "You and me...we'll always be a team no matter what, just like we've been since we were kids. My marrying Taylor isn't going to change that. Nothing will."

"But what if it does? We aren't kids anymore Chad and pretty soon we're going to be out in the world like adults with all the adult responsibility that comes with that fact. You've already started making decisions that will effect the rest of your life while I..."

"You what?"

"While I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with myself or the rest of my life," Troy admitted.

"Oh come off it Bolton. You my friend are going to secure a basketball scholorship to some great college, graduate and probably end up becoming some Fortune 500 CEO or something," Chad said knowingly. "Don't sweat it."

"Yeah...but what about Gabriella?"

"What about her?" Chad asked, not sure where this conversation was heading, only that it seemed important that he listen to whatever Troy was trying to get off his chest.

"Well...I'm just not sure if marriage is in the cards for us the way it is for you and Taylor. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't know if we'll be apart of each other's future."

"Do you love Brie?" Chad asked growing serious. "I mean really love her?"

"With all my heart," Troy said without hesitation. "I can't see myself being with anyone else but her."

"Then that's all the answer you need," Chad advised. "Just because you aren't ready to take the next step like I have with Taylor doesn't mean it won't eventually happen some day. Believe me when I tell you that this wasn't something I decided overnight or didn't question at least 10 times a day when it came to me. I did. But then one day...oh I don't know...everything just clicked and I knew that even if I wasn't sure what the future held for me, I wanted Taylor by my side through it all. I know you and the others probably think I'm crazy for even proposing knowing we aren't legally able to marry yet, but I tell you Troy for the first time in my life I totally felt like I was doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason and that's why I asked Tay to marry me. As for everything else...it will take care of itself in time."

"Man Chad, if I didn't know any better I'd say you've turned into a full fledged grown-up on me," Troy joked, suddenly feeling better about everything.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it because I've still got plenty of kid left in me to be sure, at least until graduation."

"Well as long as we stay best friends through it all I'm good," Troy stated, glad they'd had a chance to talk.

"Of course we're gonna be friends from now until. In fact, when the big day comes I want you acting as my best man when I say I do with my best girl. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Troy said with a smile. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither," Chad stated, getting off the bed and heading toward the bathroom. "Now can we stop talking like were old men so I can go take a shower? I smell like my name is Seabuscuit or something."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

After dishing a short while with Gabriella and Kelsi about her early morning horseback ride with Chad, Taylor finally made her way back upstairs where she immediately went to indulge in a nice hot shower. As the intense pulsing of the water soothed both her body and soul, she wondered how it was possible for one person to be not only so incredibly lucky, but so undeniably happy too?

The senior trip had turned into much more than just a fun weekend getaway with her friends; a right of passage bestowed on the outgoing class of graduates.

In the span of a mere 24-hours, everything about Taylor's life and future had literally been changed forever by Chad revealing the depth of his love for her and his ensuing proposal of marriage. Just the thought that one day in the near future she would become his wife and they would begin the journey of building a life together, both thrilled and terrified Taylor at the same time. Being Chad's girlfriend was one thing, but to become his lifelong partner was something she had no clue about and, for a brief moment, Taylor worried that she might not be ready for the responsibility that came with her acceptance.

Closing her eyes as she tilted her head back to let the pulsating water run through her hair and over her face she, for the first time, finally understood the meaning of the words cold feet. But, in the passing seconds of her hesitation, Chad's beautiful eyes, face and smile came to Taylor as clear as day, and all her fears of an unknown future simply vanished away. No matter what happened she had his love and his heart as he had hers. They could get through anything, even uncertainty of what lay ahead for them both.

A smile bright as the sun lit up her face, as Taylor turned off the water, secure in the knowledge that her happiness would remain as long as she and Chad were together.

Sluicing off water from her dark brown mane, she pulled back the shower curtin and reached for a fluffy white towel, which she wrapped around her invigorated body with a contended sigh.

"Now I need to figure out what I'm going to wear so I'll be ready when Sharpay returns," Taylor said to herself, as she padded barefoot back into the bedroom, only to be startled by the sight of that very person sitting on her bed, arms crossed in disapproval.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you Taylor McKessie?" Sharpay admonised in a haughty tone, mouth set in that infamous little pout of hers. "I could barely sit still during my meeting with the chaperones wondering if you were okay or not."

"Hi Shar," Taylor replied, far too happy to let one of her friend's scoldings ruin her mood. "I see you finally made it back. How did things go?"

"Don't try to sweet talk your way out of this one missy. Just where in the heck were you so early this morning that not even the roosters or the sun were up yet?" Sharpay demanded like an overly concerned mother.

Taylor smiled blissfully. "I went for a horseback ride with Chad. It was amazing.

"I just bet," Sharpay said knowingly." But was it soooo amazing that you couldn't even bother to wake one of us up to let us know where you were going or, at the very least, leave us a note?"

"Didn't you talk to Gabriella when you came in? Didn't she tell you about the note I left on the counter explaining things?"

"No, I haven't talked to Brie because both she and Kelsi are taking showers as well," Sharpay informed, her pout still prominently visible. "That's why I'm up here giving you the third degree and not them."

Taylor laughed and went to sit by her friend on the bed. She put an arm around Sharpay and gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry honey," Taylor cooed apologetically. "I never meant to make anyone worry. Honest. Chad suggested that we go riding this morning and I said yes. When I got back, Brie gave me the same lecture you're giving me now, but she forgave me after I showed her the note I left which had accidentally fallen on the floor."

"And that's your best excuse? A misplaced note on the floor?" Sharpay asked, realizing that her anger was quickly subsiding. "After what you put me through? Surely you can do better than that McKessie?"

"Please Shar don't be mad at me," Taylor pleaded playfully. "I promise to never do anything like that again. It's just that I'm so happy and in love right now that I'm not thinking as straight as I normally do."

Sharpay stared at her friend and noted that she looked stunningly beautiful wearing only a towel, no make-up, and glowing from the inside out. She couldn't resist smiling at the sight.

"Okay, okay, you're forgiven," Sharpay conceded, finally giving a hug in return. "Just don't ever let it happen again."

"I promise," Taylor agreed, now even happier that their next to last day of senior weekend was back on track, as she got up from the bed and began rummaging through the dresser drawer for something to wear.

"So, tell me what went on with the chaperones? Any new developments?"

Sharpay laughed. "Not really. We mostly talked about the activities schedule for today, the masquerade ball tonight, and plans for our departure Sunday afternoon."

"God I'm going to hate leaving this place tomorrow," Taylor sighed wistfully, placing a pair of fresh jeans and a hooded t-shirt onto the bed next to her friend. "This entire weekend has been a dream come true thanks to all of your hard work."

"I agree," Sharpay said with a thouhgtful nod of her head. "Now I see why they call it senior weekend. If we stayed away any longer we might not ever want to go back to the real world."

"Why would you when you have a place as magical as Colton's Bay to loose yourself in?" Taylor stated, grabbing up her clothes and heading back to the bathroom. "It's just too bad that this place is off limits to the general public or else I could easily see Chad and myself when we're old and gray having spent some of the best years of our lives up here for vacations, anniversaries, and family outings."

"Wow Mrs. Danforth to be, you're really taking this engagement stuff seriously aren't you?" Sharpay joked, reclining onto her elbows. "Well I guess it's a good thing you and your future hubby are close friends of the family, which means you may actually get to have some of those vacations and anniversaries here in the future if you play your cards right."

She could hear Taylor's laughter from the bathroom and laughed herself.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Gabriella asked, suddenly appearing in the bedroom doorway, dressed and ready to go, Kelsi right behind her. "Shar when did you get back?"

"About 15 minutes ago," Sharpay answered sitting upright again. "You two were taking a shower so I came in here to straighten McKessie out."

"She did tell you about the note right?" Kelsi offered in an attempt to protect Taylor if possible from a full blown inquisition.

"Yes Kel, I know about the note. And stop trying to defend Taylor. She's already been put on blast and now it's over."

"Yeah Kelsi, mama Evans already gave it to me good," Taylor said coming out of the bathroom fully dressed, brushing out her still damp head of hair. "But thanks anyway."

They all laughed.

"So are we about ready to go take a look at our costumes for tonight's masquerade ball?" Gabriella asked, visibly excited about what sounded like the parties to end all parties. "I really hope we get to pick out something good for us and the guys."

"Yeah Shar, I'd like to find something sort of Charlie Chaplin-ish for me and Ryan to wear," Kelsi stated eagerly.

Suddenly Sharpay's expression changed as she looked at her friends as if she had something to tell them but didn't quite know how.

"Ummm...you guys...there's something I need to tell you about the costumes for tonight?"

"What?" Taylor asked in reponse to the look on her friend's face, as she walked over to the window to look out at the magnificent view of the lake down below. "Please don't tell me there's been a change in plans?"

"Well...actually...just a little," Sharpay confessed. "It seems that this isn't going to be a traditional costume party after all."

"What does that mean?" Gabriella questioned suspiciously.

"What it means is that there won't be any of the usual themed outfits like you would find at say...Halloween. In fact, there is only going to be two types of attire that can be worn and in only two main colors."

"Okay Shar, out with it," Taylor demanded, already not feeling the so-called changes they were on the verge of hearing about.

"Yeah Sharpay. Are you telling us that we're suppose to have a costume party without any choice of costume but two?" Gabriella interegated, as Kelsi quietly listened for the remaining details.

"It's like this...Ms. Phillips and Mrs. Bolton are the ones who Ryan suggested the idea too in the first place. I only found out about it after the fact. I figured they had it under control so it was the one thing I didn't have my fingers all tied up in, especially with everything else I had to do. So, in my believing all was good to go, I didn't find out until this morning what the actual final plans were."

"And those are?" Gabriella pressed, her patience growing thin.

"Well it seems that we are going to have a red and white masquerade ball to honor the East High colors. All the girls will be dressed in red ball gown type dresses with red sashes, and all the guys will be wearing white tuxedos with red sashes. The masques will be red and white also," Sharpay explained somewhat nervously. "From the way Ms. Phillips and Mrs. Bolton were talking about it things might not be as bad as they seem. We just don't have much freedom when it comes to what we have to wear tonight."

"Oh that's a terrible idea," Taylor moaned. "If what you say is true then we have absolutely no originality to look forward too at all. All of it sounds formal and frankly, boring."

"I agree," Gabriella chimed in. "It sounds like some 18th century coronation or something instead of a party for a bunch of high school seniors to celebrate their last night in paradise."

"Yes, it does seem a bit old-fashioned and outdated if you ask me," Kelsi stated, slightly disappointed that her creative flare was being stifled before it even got a chance to breathe.

"Look everyone, I know it sounds strange and all which is why I've arranged for us to go to the costume trailer and take a look at what they've brought in for us to wear so we'll at least be prepared for what's coming before I make the annoucement at breakfast," Sharpay offered. "I mean if we're going to be as restricted as it seems we are, at least we'll get first pick before everyone else."

"That doesn't make me feel any better Shar," Taylor stated with obvious disappointment. "I was really looking to have fun tonight. Major fun. And now you tell us that we're limited in costumes and colors. What kind of farewell send off can we have under those conditions?"

"I don't know, but we don't really have a choice now do we? So let's just finish getting dressed and head on over to see what we're working with and make the best of it okay?"

"Fine," Gabriella said none too happy, turning on her heels to leave the room. "See you downstairs."

_Ten Minutes Later..._

As the girls were heading out, on their way to the costume trailer with no real costumes in it, they spied Chad, Troy and Ryan hanging out on the deck of their lodge.

"Hey goregous, we're you off too?" Troy called out to his girlfriend who didn't look too pleased from his vantage point. "Can we tag along?"

"Yeah, we promise to be good," Chad yelled to a distracted Taylor, who was trying to envision what it was they were about to walk into.

"Sorry fellas, this is a girls only trip," Sharpay yelled back, wondering were Zeke was. "We'll meet all of you up at the main lodge for breakfast in about 45 minutes okay?"

"If you say so," Chad said blowing a kiss at Taylor, who barely reacted as she Gabriella, Sharpay and Kelsi started up the main path.

"See you later," Troy said with a wave, curious as to why they all looked like they were going to their doom.

A few moments later, the girls arrived at the costume trailer where they were greeted by Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Darbus and Ms. Phillips.

"Good morning ladies," Lucy Bolton said, noting the discouraged looks on the pretty young faces. "Or is it?"

"Hi Mrs. B," Gabriella said in a rather lifeless voice, as she came up the three steps to the entrance.

"Well that doesn't sound like someone excited about tonight's big party," Lorraine Phillips observed, wondering about all the down expressions.

"Oh we're fine," Taylor said in that same ho-hum way, convincing no one. "Let's go inside and see what you have for us."

"Right this way," Mrs. Darbus said opening the door to the trailer with a smile, as the four girls entered single file.

"Yes, come on in ladies," Lucy Bolton said excitedly. "We're really glad Sharpay brought some of you early so we can tell you about our last minute change to the outfits. We thought sashes were a good idea at first, but then we decided that red lapel carnations for the guys and white long sleeve gloves and baby corsages for the girls would be a better choice. More elegant."

Taylor and Gabriella gave each other side-way glances, not the least bit looking forward to the task at hand. But in an instant, that all changed and each girl, including Sharpay, was left speechless by what they saw before them: rows of beautiful red silk dresses in every size and length like gorgeous works of art out of a high-end fashion magazine. Their eyes practically fell out of their heads as they could hardly wait to look through everything.

"Wow!" Kelsi exclaimed, letting her hand graze the fabric of an adorable knee-length dress with beautiful layered folds in back that seemed to have her name written all over it. "These are amazing!"

"Yes they are," Taylor said, her eyes zeroing in on a stunning ankle-length gown, sleeveless, with a plunging neckline and two incredibly sexy slits midway up the thigh. "These are the most incredible dresses I've ever laid eyes on."

"And then some," Gabriella gasped as she spotted her heart's desire toward the end of the first rack, a jaw dropping strapless mini number, with a delicate calf-length sheer lace train that gathered at the hips.

"I...I...I don't know what to say," Sharpay stammered, as her focus immediately turned to another mini inspired creation that hung from one shoulder with the same sheer lace around the middle that created a dual skirt effect a half-inch below the dress itself. "These are beyond gorgeous."

Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Darbus and Ms. Phillips looked appropriately pleased.

"Well we knew you girls would want to look your best for tonight which is why we've had Ms. Phillips' sister, an up and coming designer, working on these dresses since the summer," Mrs. Bolton happily stated. "Once we knew which girls would actually be attending senior weekend, then we managed to procure your sizes and measurements in various ways so specific alterations could be made with room for adjustments of course. Abbey, that's Ms. Phillips' sister, and her team have come up for the day to make sure that after each girl finds the dress of her liking is made to fit into it perfectly, no exceptions."

"This is awesome!" Taylor exclaimed, grabbing the dress that had caught her eye, as had the other girls. "Each one is uniquely original and breathtaking. The rest of the senior girls are gonna flip when they see these."

"Flip and probably fight too," Sharpay added, holding tightly to her preference. "What are you going to do if two or more girls decide they want the same dress?"

"Well we've devised a plan for that too," Mrs. Bolton said cleverly. "After breakfast, everyone will pull a number from a hat. The first 10 girls will be allowed in to choose a dress and then have it altered if need be. If anyone gets too out of hand then the dress of choice will be forfeited to someone else and they'll have to choose all over again."

"That's devious," Gabriella stated, clinging to her creation happily. "Hopefully though there won't be a need for such drastic measures. There are more than enough beautiful dresses to go around and something to everyone's liking from what I can see."

"Yes, much planning was put into the styles the girls in attendance have shown a preference for," Mrs. Darbus pointed out. "We've taken pictures and done all sorts of creative research for the last several months to ensure that every young lady tonight will be wearing the dress of her dreams."

"So does this mean we can keep the ones we've already found or do we have to do the number pulling as well?" Kelsi asked nervously, hoping that she wouldn't have to pray that no one snagged the dress she'd claimed for herself.

Mrs. Bolton smiled. "No Kelsi, you won't have to pull a number and yes, the dresses you are all holding now can be yours for tonight. Sharpay already made the request for you all to have first pick along with herself."

The girls all sighed with huge relief and then began clapping and cheering loudly.

"So what about the guys Mrs. B? What are they wearing?"

"Oh...they'll all be wearing Armani inspired white collar-less tuxedos," Ms. Phillips answered instead. "Boys are much easier to please than girls. They'll have tailors on hand to assist them with alertions as well."

"Umm...what about shoes?" Gabriella asked, realizing that without them their outfits would not be complete.

"We have that covered too," Lucy Bolton replied walking over to a huge wall cabinet which she threw open to reveal rows of various sized lovely low-heeled ankle strap sandals adorned with dainty imitation rubies and rhinestones that were ultra sexy in appearance. "Everyone will wear the same shoes tonight it's just a matter of picking out your size. They go with every single dress you find here."

"This is beyond amazing!" Taylor gushed, running over to snag a pair, as did Gabriella, Kelsi and Sharpay.

Mrs. Darbus cleared her throat to bring them all to attention.

"Now the plan ladies is for all of you to go into one of the 4 dressing rooms in the back and try on the outfits you've choosen. Abbey will be here in a few minutes to see if anyone needs alteration of any kind. Once that's completed, your dress, shoes, gloves and most importantly your masque will be put in a garmet bag and tagged with your name to be picked up here between 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. right after dinner. Then you'll have an hour and a half to dress before the masquerade ball begins at 9:00 p.m. These are the same instructions that will be relayed to everyone else at breakfast this morning."

"Well you have definitely thought of everything haven't you?" Sharpay indicated, thoroughly impressed. "I actually thought this might turn out to be a complete disaster after leaving our meeting earlier."

Ms. Phillips laughed. "Yes dear, I could see by the look on your face that you were thrown for a loop when Lucy and I threw out the red and and white only theme and then described what we had in mind."

Sharpay blushed. "Well I admit that I was having a hard time not envisoning something stiff, old and boring when I first heard about it. But now, after viewing all the hard work obviously put into things, I can totally see that I was the one who was clueless."

The older women chuckled at the compliment.

"Well I guess we can assume that you all now see that we aren't so out of it after all," Mrs. Bolton teased. "In our minds a masquarde ball is about class and elegance. We just made sure that what we were planning had to fit with the sense of style appreciated by your generation."

"Oh it's more than appreciated!" Kelsi said with an ear-to-ear grin. "We're all going to look fabulous tonight guaranteed. So...if it's okay...can we go try our dresses on now?"

"Of course," Ms. Phillips said, leading her toward one of the vacant dressing rooms. "It's probably best if you all get busy doing the same thing. I expect my sister any minute so if you can be ready with alteration requests when she arrives, that will help us keep things moving and coordinated. We have breakfast heading our way in 20 or so, and 45 other girls we have to attend to afterwards."

Without having to repeat instructions twice, Gabriella, Taylor and Sharpay each raced for a dressing room, anticipating what they all knew was going to be one of the most fantastic nights of their lives, perhaps even better than prom itself.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

As Taylor stepped outside the costume trailer, waiting for the others to join her so they could all meet up with the guys for breakfast, she realized in that very moment her life was the epitome of perfection by design.

There wasn't a doubt in her mind that God was smiling down on her right now, having laid heaven on earth at her feet, as nearly every dream and desire held closest to her heart had come into being during this one glorious weekend in the realm of Colton's Bay.

Realizing how truly blessed she was seemed to momentarly overwhelm Taylor, and she took a second to close her eyes and give a silent prayer of sincerest thanks for all that she'd been given.

"You ready to go Tay?" Gabriella called out, suddenly appearing in the doorway of the trailer, closely followed by Kelsi and Sharpay, all three grining from ear-to-ear. "I'm sure our boyfriends are wondering where we are given that we told them we'd only be gone for 45 minutes and here it is going on an hour."

"Yep, all ready," Taylor replied, opening her eyes and smiling at her best friend with a nod. "Lets get going."

"Yes lets," Sharpay stated, as the four of them began walking in the direction leading toward the main lodge. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Kelsi chimed in, still giddy over the dress she had choosen, wondering what Ryan would say when he saw her in it.

"I still can't believe how amazing we are all going to look at the ball tonight," Gabriella gushed, hooking her arm through Taylor's. "I really hope the guys won't be too disappointed that they'll have to wear tuxedos instead of some Halloween-type costumes this evening."

"They can be disappointed all they want," Sharpay stated without care. "But I gurantee that once they see how hot we are in those to die for dresses we'll be wearing, any and all protests will be thrown right out the window."

Knowing that she spoke nothing but the truth, Gabriella, Taylor and Kelsi all laughed just as they reached the end of the path they'd been on, rounded the corner, and saw Troy, Chad, Zeke and Ryan waiting for them to arrive.

_  
"That's right Taylor...laugh it up while you still can," the menacing voice inside the head of the one who was watching hidden and unnoticed, spoke to them. _

_"It's just a matter of time before you pay for your sins. Not even the love of Chad Danforth will be able to save you when the time comes for all to be made right and you are at my mercy to make amends."_

Fifteen minutes after they'd all taken their seats in the dining hall filled with noisy excited chatter, Taylor and Chad both looked up from their plates of food at the same time to see Marissa rushing into the room appearing more than a little agitated.

Breezing by their table in a hasty attempt to join her circle of friends whom were motioning her over to where they sat, she briefly turned hateful eyes fueled with disgust in the direction of her two self-proclaimed enemies, before moving on without a backward glance.

"Geez what a hater," Kelsi stated, taking note of the way Marissa had glared at Taylor and Chad in passing. "That girl really has it out for the two of you."

"She sure does," Zeke agreed, taking a bite of his toast. "I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up a second ago the freeze from her was so intense."

"I just don't get how a girl so beautiful and popular can have such a bad attitude," Ryan said, glancing out of the corner of his eye in Sharpay's direction.

"Yeah...well Marissa DeLeon needs to get a grip and a clue," Gabriella said matter of fact, reaching for her glass of orange juice. "Why she is even giving Chad of all people a second thought when she has half the boys in school in love with her, not to mention Brad drooling all over himself for attention is just plain ridiculous."

"Well thanks for the compliment Brie," Chad said in a playfully wounded voice as he laid his head on Taylor's shoulder. "It's nice to know how you really feel."

Gabriella laughed, realizing how what she'd said must have sounded coming out.

"I'm sorry Chad. You know I didn't mean it like that. What I should have said is that she needs to stop wasting her time on someone who clearly is no longer into her and appreciate the fact that a lot of other guys are willing to give her what you won't and can't."

"That's right girlfriend, clean it up," Taylor said jokingly, as she patted her boyfriend's back, pretending to make him feel better over Gabriella's words. "You know my baby's sensitive to criticism."

Everyone at the table started laughing when Chad reached for a napkin and began to fake crying.

"There, there...it's alright," Taylor cooed, playing along with his hilarious performance. "I won't let that big bad Brie say another word against you."

"You promise?" Chad sniffled, while he tried to hide his own smile.

"I promise," Taylor vowed, kissing his forehead and pretending to glare at Gabriella, as Troy and the others were on the verge of howling.

"Okay...it's official...you two are a hot mess," Sharpay declared, shaking her head totally amused.

Just then she looked across the room and saw Principal Matthews signaling for her to come to his table up front.

"Oops...sorry guys, gotta run. I'll be back in a few," Sharpay said, jumping up from the table.

"Where you going babe?" Zeke asked, slyly stealing a piece of bacon from her plate.

"Principal Matthews looks like he's finally ready to have me make the annoucement about the masqurade ball," Sharpay replied tossing down her napkin as she walked away without further discussion.

"Give'em hell girlfriend!" Troy teased, to her retreating back.

Chad had finally stopped acting a silly fool and he, Taylor and the others now all sat back waiting for Sharpay to do her thing and return, so they could make plans for the rest of their day.

"I really hope everyone won't be too disappointed when they hear that the masquerade ball won't include crazy costumes and such," Kelsi pondered, her hand in Ryan's under the table.

"You don't think having us all dress up in formal wear in only the school colors toting hand-held masques isn't crazy?" Troy asked jokingly.

Kelsi blushed. "Well to some I'm sure that is crazy but you know what I mean. Most people are probably expecting to dress up like some character in a movie or something like say at Halloween. This isn't going to be anything like that."

"Nope. Not by a long shot," Ryan promised confidently.

"Thank goodness," Taylor said. "I think it's great that we aren't going with the same old same old and trying something new. Everything else about this year's senior weekend has been totally original so why shouldn't this be too?"

"I can't agree more Tay," Gabriella said, as they watched Sharpay talking with the chaperones for a few moments, before taking the microphone from Prinicipal Matthews' hand and asking for everyone's attention.

_Listening to the blonde's speech about the fantasy evening to come, a combination of school spirit and glamourous romantic fun, the unseen watcher took in the necessary details being spoken about, ecstatic that they would further assist them in succeeding with their plan of revenge. _

_The masquerade ball was going to be the perfect opportunity to bring the unjust to their knees and set the most evil of desires in motion...to see Taylor dead by dawn the following day, and Chad suffering through a pain he couldn't even begin to imagine or bare. _

Once the initial annoucement had been made and the shocked reactions dealt with and adjusted too, the majority of the students ultimtely ended up being completely in favor of the night that lay ahead.

Granted, at first, it was mostly the senior girls who seemed to be really excited about the overall news, but that quickly changed to equal enthusiasm from the senior boys when everyone learned that their favorite radio personality from the number one station back home had been hired by the commitee to act as host and DJ of the masquerade ball and would be telecasting the event live on the air. After that, you couldn't hold people in their chairs as everyone started rushing to get their names in for dress and tuxedo fittings in anticipation of the biggest party of the year.

"You go girl!" Troy yelled, standing up with the others to applaud Sharpay once she fought her way back to their table amid the frenzied crowd of excited seniors. "That's how you handle your business."

"Wow Sharpay!" Zeke said, taking her hand and pulling her into a hug. "You really are something. I admit I wasn't too sure how this whole thing would go over, but once you let everybody know that Rowdy Ricky was coming on board folks started going crazy."

"Yeah Shar, that was a total stroke of genuis," Gabriella stated with utter respect. "How come you didn't tell us about this before?"

"Let's just say he was my ace in the hole. After finding out this morning how this thing was going to go and not knowing how people were going to react to it, I figured it was best to throw his name in at the end to soften any extreme resistence," Sharpay explained, glad to have yet again dodged another bullet and keeping her hopes for a senior weekend to go down in history alive.

"So when do we go take care of the tuxedo thing?" Chad asked, already envisioning the perfect night spent with Taylor and their friends. "If we don't hurry, the four of us could be in serious trouble of being last in line."

"Make that five," Jason stated, appearing out of nowhere holding the hand of one Marcie Andrews in his.

"Jas!" Troy said, slapping him on the back. "Where you been man? We thought you were going to have breakfast with us?"

"Sorry guys," Jason said turning to smile shyly at the petite redhead at his side. "Marcie and I were so busy talking that I just ended up staying at her table."

"Hey Marcie," Taylor said with a wave. "Are you having a good time this weekend?"

"Oh yes. This is the best time I've ever had in my life," Marcie replied, staring sweetly up at Jason.

"Listen guys. Just so you all know, I already put you down for the first group of tux fittings last night," Ryan stated. "We've got about 10 minutes before we need to be over to the costume trailer."

"Really? That's great dude!" Zeke said giving Ryan a hi-five. "Way to keep your head in the game."

"No problem. But we better get moving on things quickly."

"I hear you," Troy stated. "How about it Wildcats? You guys ready to hit it?"

"Absolutely," Chad said enthusiastically. "The sooner we take care of business the sooner we can get back to doing what we want with the rest of our day."

"Sounds like a plan," Zeke agreed. "How about you girls come up with what you want to do today while we're gone? And when we get back to the lodge we can take off?"

"Works for me," Gabriella replied, with Taylor and Kelis nodding in agreement.

"So is everyone set on the game plan here?" Sharpay confirmed looking around at the group. "Guys go for tuxedos. Girls think up fun. We all hook up again in about a half an hour or so?"

"Yes!" came the answer in unison, as they all began moving to leave the dining hall with the rest of their classmates, the air infectious with limitless possibilities for ending their senior weekend on truly a note to remember.

_"And so it begins," came the voice inside the one who remained unseen but who hadn't stopped watching. "First Taylor and her red gown and now Chad off to claim his white tuxedo. How appropriate that both will be dressed in the very colors that symbolize their soon to be fate. Red for the beauty's blood I intend to spill and white the shade of grief that will soon grip her hero's heart when he finds he cannot save her from the hand of my destiny._


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

While the girls kicked back at their lodge waiting for the boyfriends to return after the tuxedo fittings, they put on some music inspired by their upbeat mood, as each one began doing her own little thing to help pass the time.

Gabreilla was in Kelsi's room helping her find the perfect hairstyle to go with her dress that night, while Sharpay sat out in the livingroom on the couch sipping bottled water while over last minute notes and details concerning the masquerade ball.

Upstairs in her room, Taylor stood looking out her window at the crystal blue lake below, daydreaming about how wonderful practically every minute of senior weekend had been so far. With the exception of her fight with Chad the day before and their run-in with Marissa, things were next to perfect.

Smiling at the thought of her gorgeous fiance with his soulful brown eyes and beautiful curly hair, Taylor went over to the dresser, where she opened the top drawer and pulled out the small velvet box which housed her engagement ring.

Taking it from its black clothed throne, Taylor slipped it onto the third finger of her left hand with a smile that could have lit up the world. It was even more breathtaking than she had remembered. How Chad's grandmother had ever dreamed of parting with it Taylor would never know. It definitely proved to her that his grandmother's belief in his love for her was strong and unshakeable and it only made the gesture that much more endearing.

Still wearing a grin of sheer bliss on her face, Taylor walked back to the window and held up her hand admiringly at diffrent angles, as the sunlight cascading in played against the lively sparkle of diamond shine.

"What'cha got their beautiful?" came the sound of the familiar voice that always made her heart race and flutter at the same time. "Something special?"

Turning around, Taylor saw Chad leaning in the doorway staring at her with eyes desperately in love.

"Very special," she softly replied, as he began walking slowly toward her. "It's my future."

"Oh really?" Chad said with a smile, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his body. "Don't you mean our future?"

Taylor nodded. "Our future."

"I like the sound of that," Chad said, slightly tilting his head to the side, as he leaned in to place soft tantalizing kisses along her neck.

"So I take it everything went okay with the tuxedo fitting?" Taylor asked with a breathy sigh, feeling weak-kneed in his embrace. "Nothing disaterous to report?"

"Nope. Everything went like clockwork," Chad said nibbling on her ear, as he ran his hands up and down her back. "We're all going to look like the perfect prince charmings for you ladies tonight."

"Well...well...I'm glad to hear that," Taylor stammered, her body overcome with delicious sensations, her hands now entwined in his soft brown curls.

Chad pulled back from her just a little wearing a seductive smile, knowing that his attention to her neck was getting to her.

"So was I gone long enough for you to miss me?" he teased with a knowing little laugh.

"And then some," Taylor replied in a husky voice, moving back in to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, which had been his goal all along.

They remained in their embrace until both sensed they had to stop before they reached that point of no return and then reluctantly pulled apart.

"Nice ring," Chad said nearly breathless, his forehead pressed against hers.

"It's the most beautiful ring in the world," Taylor sighed. "Wearing it makes me feel like I can do anything."

"You mean like marrying the one who gave it too you and making him the happiest guy on the planet?" Chad asked, rubbing their noses together.

"Absolutely," Taylor replied.

"That's what I'm talking about," Chad said with a grin as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around in his arms.

Suddenly the demanding sound of Sharpay's voice at the foot of the stairs broke the spell of their special little moment.

"Okay you two. Whatever you're doing up there knock it off and come down here with the rest of us so we can decide what to do with the rest of our day. "

Taylor and Chad looked at each other, shook their heads, and laughed.

"Coming mother!" Taylor called out, as Chad released his hold on her. "Well be there in a second."

They could hear everyone else laughing at her response.

"Let me just put my ring away," Taylor whispered walking back over to the dresser.

She was about to slip it off her finger when Chad caught her hand in his and raised it to his lips for a kiss. Taylor blushed.

"Some day soon you won't have to put it away ever again," he promised, gently sliding the ring off for her and placing it back in the box.

Taylor reached up and tenderly touched Chad's face, almost as if he wasn't quite real to her.

"Is it crazy of me to be as in love with you as I am?" she asked. "Sometimes I feel like you, me, all of this is just a dream."

"No it's not crazy because I feel the same," Chad replied sincerely. "And this is no dream. You and me are real Taylor. Don't ever let anyone or anything convince you otherwise okay?"

She nodded with a smile. "Okay."

"Good," Chad said kissing the tip of her nose as he took her hand in his. "Now lets get out of here before Sharpay decides to round us up on her own."

_The Rest Of The Day..._

Colton's Bay Cove was a little inlet just off the north side of the big lake with its own private beach and cabana. In the past, it was the place that Shapay and Ryan would steal away to during big family reunions when they wanted to be alone with a small group of friends.

When they brought Troy, Gabriella, Zeke, Kelsi, Taylor and Chad over via jet skis, there was a huge picnic basket packed with food awaiting their arrival, a volleyball net set up for their use, and the cabana fully stocked with drinks, towels, and other amenities for a day of fun.

After eating a five-star lunch, they all played a few rounds of volleyball before Ryan suggested a game of beach-style Monoploy. At first no one but he and Sharpay knew what that was but they soon found out and loved it.

Instead of a regular sized Monopoly board, they played on a huge rollout canvas of the same design, with pieces 10 times the size of their normal counterparts. Everyone literally became apart of the game itself as they had to stand up to roll the huge rubber dice, use both hands to pick up the cards, money, and houses/hotels, as well as move their choosen player piece around the board by walking it from space to space. It was truly the ultimate in life-size fantasy gaming.

When they were done and Ryan had been declared the winner by a landslide, everyone went inside the cabana to have some hot chocolate, listen to music and just hang out until it was time to head back.

"I'll say it again Sharpay, this place is amazing," Gabriella stated as she sat next to Troy, her head laying on his shoulder. "It's like anything you can think of to have fun doing is yours for the asking."

"Pretty much," Ryan stated, winking at Kelsi.

"Yep, this place is totally unbelievable," Zeke agreed, as Sharpay handed him another cup of hot chocolate. "Between the horses, the dirt bikes, the jet skis, the food, the accommodations, the jacuzzi and everything else, it's a wonder anyone ever leaves here to go home."

"Well all I know is this private beach thing today was by far the best of what we've experienced so far and that's saying alot," Troy added in kind.

"And just think we still have the masquerade ball to look forward to tonight," Taylor said excitedly, as she sat on the floor, her back resting against Chad's knees. "After that, there is no way anyone can convince me that we didn't all have the best senior weekend in East High's history."

"Oh you know it!" Chad replied in total agreement. "Once we get back and tell the tale of all that we did this weekend and the awesomeness of Colton's Bay, there is no doubt that the senior class of 2008 is going to gain legendary status from here on out."

They all started cheering, whistling and clapping until Sharpay held up a hand for them to pause.

"Okay legends...sorry to burst everyone's bubble but I think it's time we started heading back to the mainland before it gets any later," she announced, glancing at her watch.

"Awww do we have to?" Kelsi asked in disappointment. "Can't we hang out just a little while longer?"

"No we can't," Sharpay stated firmly, standing up with hands on hips. "I've got a 5:00 p.m. meeting with the chaperones that I can't be late for. Besides, we all need time to get back, turn in the jet skis, pick up our costumes, shower, shave, etc. If we don't head back now, we'll be way off schedule in more ways than one later."

"She's right guys," Taylor said, standing up as well. "I want to wash my hair, do my nails and relax a little beforehand."

"Me too," Gabriella agreed, pulling Troy to his feet with her.

"Fine by me," Chad and Zeke chimed in at the same time.

"So I guess we better get our things together and get out of here then," Ryan stated taking Kelsi's hand, as everyone else began to gather up their few belongings.

"Oh...and don't worry about cleaning anything up," Sharpay advised. "Staffers will be sent out here to take care of that for us."

Troy and Chad gave each other a look and rolled their eyes. Aaaah to live life large and in the fast lane.

Minutes later, they were all partnered up on the jet skis ready to head back to the main resort.

_From high up on a tree laden hill, a pair of high powered binoculars focused in on the six laughing teenagers speeding their way across the lake as if they were on top of the world. _

_Little did they realize that after tonight everything would change forever. _

_The clock was winding down on Taylor, Chad and all their happy carefree times. This day with their friends would be the last of its kind and tomorrow all their smiles would be replaced by tears. _


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

After safely arriving back on the mainland and returning the jet skis to the boathouse, Sharpay gave Zeke a kiss, waved good-bye to the others, and dashed off to her 5:00 p.m. meeting with the chaperones up at the main lodge.

With still an hour and a half to go before they were to pick up their costumes for the ball, Troy suggested that he, Chad and Zeke go play some pool to pass the time if Taylor and Gabriella didn't mind, which they did not. In fact, both girls were secretly thrilled to be free of their significant others for a little while, allowing them the opportunity to prepare themselves even more for their big night without distraction.

For some unknown reason Chad was a bit disappointed that Taylor seemed a little too eager to be rid of him, even though Troy wasn't phased in the least by Gabriella's lack of concern at his impending departure.

"You okay baby?" Taylor asked, noticing the strange look on his face, almost like his feelings were hurt.

"Yeah...of course," Chad replied, wrapping her up in his arms, while their friends watched the exchange with amusement. "Are you sure you don't mind my taking off for a while because I'll stay if you want me too?"

Taylor stared at him oddly for a moment, then smiled and leaned in for a kiss, a tiny laugh at her lips.

"Chad...I want you to go and have fun with Troy and Zeke. Really. It's only going to be for an hour or so. Besides, we've been together practically every minute today beginning with our horseback ride this morning. We need a little break from each other and I'm okay with it."

"I can see that," he stated with a boyish pout. "Could you at least act like you're going to miss me even a little?"

"Chad Danforth!" Taylor laughed, playfully punching him in the chest. "If you don't stop acting like a big baby. Of course I'm going to miss you just like I always do whenever we're apart. Just because I want to spend some time alone with Gabriella and on myself is no reason for you to take it personally."

"Yeah Chad listen to your woman," Troy teased, giving Zeke a hi-five. "It might do you some good to come out from under your love spell for a while."

"Look whose talking Bolton," Chad shot back over Taylor's shoulder. "You're girl is just as anxious to get rid of you as mine is of me. Heck, Zeke's girl left him high and dry without a second look."

They all started laughing at the obvious truth of his words.

"Would you just go and get out of here," Taylor said, trying to pull away from Chad, who wasn't letting her out of his grip. "You're holding up everyone's program with your silliness."

"Oh really?" he said, smiling at her mischeviously. "Well I'm not budging until you tell me what I want to hear. What I need to hear."

"And what's that?" Taylor asked, pretending to be exasperated.

"That you love me and only me for now and forever."

"Chad! Taylor exclaimed, knowing that he was playing with her even though he was fronting like he was serious.

"Say it Tay or else I'm not going anywhere."

Taylor sighed and looked over at their friends who were cracking up at their comical good-bye scene.

"Okay...I love you and only you for now and forever."

"Now say cross my heart and hope to die," Chad pressed teasingly.

"Chad Danforth if you don't get out of..." Taylor began with a laugh.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Chad said, kissing her on the nose before letting her go.

Troy, Gabriella and Zeke all started to applaud for the cute little performance they'd just witnessed.

"Can we go now?" Troy asked, putting an arm around his own girlfriend and kissing her cheek. "If you keep this up it will be time to come back before we even get there."

"Yeah...sure," Chad replied, winking at Taylor as he walked over to the guys, switching places with Gabriella who came to stand at her best friend's side.

"See you ladies later," Troy said with a wave as he and Zeke both began to playfully punch Chad as they started to leave.

"Hey Danforth!" Taylor called, as he turned around with a huge grin on his face to see what she wanted. "Remember...6:30 p.m. sharp. You and me have a hot date tonight so don't be late."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Chad called back with a laugh, as his friends at last were finally able to lead him away.

"You two are an adorable mess," Gabriella said giggling, watching as their boyfriends turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

"Aren't we though," Taylor acknowledged, shaking her head with a smile. "And to think this is what I have to look forward to for the next 20-30 years."

"Yep. Married life will be anything but dull with you and Chad that's for sure," Gabriella stated, taking her friend's hand. "But for now, let's just enjoy our freedom and get busy doing our girl thing so when our guys come calling for us later, we can leave them a pair of drooling puddles on the floor."

"I like the sound of that," Taylor laughed, anticipating the night that lay ahead, one that none of them would soon forget.

_An Hour and 20 Minutes Later..._

Gabriella and Taylor were in the living room with towels wrapped around their freshly washed heads, laughing and chatting about the evening to come, giving each other facials, when Sharpay finally breezed through the front door with Kelsi in tow, their arms filled with two garment bags a piece.

"God! I thought that meeting would never end," Sharpay groaned, taking the garment bags Kelsi had been holding and, along with those in her own arms, proceeded to hang up in the closet before floucing over to a chair, dropping into it with a dramatic sigh.

"Rough day at the office dear?" Gabriella teased, as Kelsi came to sit by her on the couch.

"And then some," Sharpay proclaimed, taking off her shoes before resting her feet on the coffee table. "This masquerade ball is more work than the entire senior weekend as a whole."

"You poor thing," Taylor cooed sympathetically, trying not to laugh, as she turned to the other arrival. "Hey Kel. How was bowling?"

"It was great!" Kelsi happily replied. "Ryan and I crushed Jason and Marcie."

"How thrilling," Sharpay said, rolling her eyes in true diva fashion. "Only you would find spending the afternoon throwing a ball down an alley at some pins with my brother the height of fun. If you'd only held out for a better option you could have spent the day with us at our own private getaway."

"Leave her alone Shar," Gabriella scolded. "Kelsi sounds like she had as much fun as we did today and that's all that matters."

"Thanks Brie," Kelsi said with an appreciative smile. "I did have fun. A lot of fun. Ryan was so sweet. He even kissed me after I made my first strike."

"He kissed you?" Taylor asked excitedly, leaning forward for all the juicy details. "Did you like it?"

Kelsi blushed, nodding shyly. "It was totally unexpected but it was great nonetheless."

"Well it's about time that boy made a move," Sharpay stated bluntly. "I don't know how much longer I was going to be able to take the two of you making jr. high goo-goo eyes at each other."

"Sharpay!" Taylor and Gabriella both exclaimed in unison.

"What? It's the truth. Now maybe my brother will stop beating around the bush and finally ask Kelsi to go steady with him like he's wanted to since summer."

"You think?" Kelsi asked rather skeptically, although the idea of such made her heart race.

"I know sweetie," Sharpay stated matter of fact. "Once Ry sees how beautiful you look tonight I'm sure by the stroke of midnight the prince will be puddy in your hands Cinderella."

"Yeah...as long as the wicked blonde sister stays out of it," Gabriella said under her breath, clear enough to be heard by all.

Taylor and Kelsi started cracking up.

"Cute Montez. Keep it up and I may just have to take that dress of yours right back where I found it."

"Touchy, touchy," Gabriella said unintimidated. "Some people can't take a joke these days."

"Well the least you could do was thank me for saving you and Taylor a trip back to the costume trailer," Sharpay whined, even though she knew her friends weren't really paying her any mind.

"Thanks so much Shar. We really appreciate your thoughtfulness," Taylor said, going over to give her friend a hug. "I'm sure it was your supreme influence that allowed us to get our dresses before pick up time."

"You better believe it," Sharpay said smugly. "I also had Jason and Ryan pick up Zeke, Troy and Chad's tuxedos as well. Speaking of which...where are the 3 stooges anyway? I thought for sure that two of them would be over here with the both of you?"

"Our boyfriends, yours included, went to play some pool for a little while, giving Tay and I time to do our girl thing," Gabriella advised. "As you can see we've been busy."

"Yes, I can see that," Sharpay conceded. "Do you think Kelsi and I can get in on some of the action too?"

"Of course," Taylor said. "Why don't you and Kel go take a shower and wash your hair. When you both are finished Brie and I will give you a facial and do your nails too. Okay?"

"Sounds wonderful," Kelsi gushed, jumping up from the couch and heading toward her room. "I promise not to be too long."

"Take your time," Gabriella said, realizing that it was getting close to washing off her facial. "We've got plenty of room to manuver in, especially now that we don't have to go get our outfits."

"Well a long hot shower sounds perfectly delightful," Sharpay sighed standing up with a cat-like stretch. "What better way to reinvigorate myself before the real insanity starts."

_A Half An Hour Later..._

"Hello...anybody home?" Chad said knocking on the door at the same time he opened it and walked inside.

All the girls were dressed in robes, with Kelsi and Sharpay now the ones wearing towels turban-style upon their heads, while Gabriella and Taylor tended to them both like they were in a day spa.

"Hey baby," Taylor said, getting up from where she sat to greet him with a kiss. "You guys just getting back?"

"Yeah," Chad replied, happy to see her as he slipped an arm around her waist. "About 10 minutes ago. Troy and Zeke went to take showers."

"Oh...so does your being over here when you should be doing same mean you plan on going au natural this evening Danforth?" Sharpay teased, unable to resist taunting him.

"If it means keeping you off my dance card tonight Evans then the answer is yes," Chad shot back, rolling his eyes in her direction.

Gabriella, Taylor and Kelsi all started to snicker at his remark.

"Okay you two, play nice," Taylor advised. "We've got a long night ahead of us and I don't want anyone fighting when we're suppose to be having the time of our lives."

"Whose fighting?" Sharpay asked innocently. "This is just me and Danforth showing the love. Right Chadikins?"

"Sure poopsie, whatever you say," Chad replied, shaking his head at how the two of them continued to remain friends. He returned his focus to Taylor.

"Look...I just came over to let you know we were back and that we'll be by to pick you girls up on time," he explained.

"We'll be ready and eagerly waiting," Taylor promised, giving him a tender little kiss.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Chad stated, pulling her in for a hug.

As he held her to him, he whispered softly in Taylor's ear, "And later tonight, after all the partying is over and done with, maybe you and me can find a way to have a little celebration of our own...if you know what I mean?"

Taylor laughed against his shoulder. "I know exactly what you mean Mr. Naughty. I can't wait."

"Good," he breathed huskily, taking a second to nibble at her ear unnoticed before they broke apart.

He then looked at the other girls in the room. "See you ladies later."

"Bye Chad," Gabriella said, as did Kelsi.

"Yeah...bye Chad," Sharpay said, throwing him a backhanded wave without looking in his direction. "Make sure you and your boys aren't late or there will be severe consequences for your actions."

"Yes oh blonde diva," Chad said with a bow, as he backed up and opened the door. "Your wish is my command."

Taylor looked at him with a sultry smile, slowly shaking her head. "Umm no mister...my wish is your command and don't you forget it."

"Never," Chad vowed with a wink, turning to walk outside.

Taylor stood watching him go down the steps and across the way with a dreamy sigh, before finally closing the door.

Then, turning to her girlfriends she proclaimed excitedly, "Okay ladies, lets kick this party into high gear because tonight we are going to take our last night of senior weekend and turn it legendary!"


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

It was going on 8:15 p.m. and the frenzied countdown to the masquerade ball had begun.

Taylor, Gabriella, Sharpay and Kelsi were running around like mad women, calling out to each other from every bedroom in the house, asking for help with hair and make-up and everything else in between a group of overly excited teenage girls could dramatically entertain during what would likely become one of the most memorable nights of their lives.

They wanted to wait until the very last minute to put on their dresses, only to be released from their garment bags once they were satisfied with all the other details of their apperance. The anticipated "Cinderella" effect wouldn't completely take over until each of them had once again slipped back into those dreamy fantasies of rich red silk that made them feel more beautiful than they'd ever felt before.

When Gabriella heard a loud groan coming from Kelsi's room, she raced downstairs for the assist. When Sharpay screeched because she didn't have enough hair pins to keep her upswept style in place, there was Taylor to save the day with extra hair pins of her own.

The back and forth was maddening to say the least, but all of them pulled together as best friends do, and made sure that everyone had what she needed to transform herself into the belle of the ball.

"How much time do we have left?" Taylor shouted downstairs, as she applied her eye-liner then mascara.

"About 20 minutes tops," Sharpay shouted back, snapping on a pair of tear drop shaped clip on earrings. "Hey Brie...how are things going in there with you and Kelsi?"

"We're working it fine," Gabriella called out, as she gave Kelsi's mass of gorgeous bodied waves a final spritz of holding sheen to make them shimmer and shine. "Tay you doing alright upstairs girlfriend?"

"Doing great Brie. Just a few more minutes and I'll be ready to slip into that dress that's going to have Chad not wanting to leave my side for one single minute tonight," Taylor laughed, making sure that the soft tendrils of hair framing her face hung perfectly.

"Honey, Chad doesn't need a dress for that," Sharpay reminded, dabbing perfume on her wrists and rubbing them together. "That boy is so sprung you could wear a paper

bag tonight and he'd still need a bib to wipe up the drool."

Everyone's laughter rang through the house.

"Well he'll probably have to share with Zeke, Troy and Ryan considering how amazing we're going to look for them tonight," Taylor replied, fastening the clasp to a delicately thin diamond-like necklace with a ruby pendant that fell just above her line of cleavage. "Man Shar, even the costume jewlery they lent us for tonight looks totally real. Each piece seems to go perfectly with all our different outfits."

"Costume jewelry my foot," Sharpay stated snobbishly. "I made sure to bring the real deal with me this weekend. I left that other in the garmet bag where it belongs."

"Nice Shar, nice," Gabriella called out as she turned Kelsi around to the mirror to admire her reflection. "So what do you think? You like?"

Kelsi stood staring at herself nearly speechless.

"Oh Brie...I...I...I look..."

"You look too beautiful for words," Gabriella finished for her with a satisfied smile. "Ryan's going to see you and fall head over heels in love."

"I hope so," Kelsi sighed, hugging her friend before going to put her contacts in.

"Okay ladies, less gabbing and more hustle," Sharpay ordered, at last ready to put on her crowning glory...the dress of her dreams.

"Coming!" Taylor yelled spraying on her favorite scent, Chanel No. 5. "I'll be down in a second."

"I'm coming too," Gabriella called, leaving Kelsi's room to return to her own where she instantly snatched up a pair of diamond studs to place in her ears.

Sharpay came out of her room and marched over to the hallway closet where everyone's garmet bags were, reached in for the one tagged with her name, and pulled it out.

"I'm putting on the dress now ladies," She announced, unzipping the bag like she was unveiling a priceless piece of art.

Taylor came rushing down, nearly tripping on the bottom step.

"Easy there McKessie," Gabriella cautioned as she joined her girls in the living room, radiantly glowing. "No one is allowed to injure themselves until after the party.

Taylor laughed. "And not even then, unless of course it's to pry our boyfriends off of us."

"Well all I know is that Zeke better contain himself and not get too carried away because if he damages this dress in any way, his night in paradise is going to turn into hell on earth faster then he can blink," Sharpay declared, gasping at the sight of her dress again. It truly was perfect for her in every way.

Taylor had recovered from her almost fall, and was now herself in the closet pulling out her own garmet bag with baited breath.

"I really hope I wasn't dreaming about how amazing this dress truly was," she said a little nervously. "I'd hate to think I'd only imagined how fantastic I thought it to be."

"Oh trust, it's fantastic and then some," Sharpay said, slipping into her dress with a sigh before twirling around as if on cloud nine. "Isn't this creation just the best you've ever seen?"

The Cinderella effect had finally taken hold. Taylor let out a low whistle.

"Oh my God Shar! You look even more beautiful in it now than you did when putting it on earlier. The hair style you choose goes with it perfectly."

"I know doesn't it!" Sharpay replied absolutely giddy, as she reached back into the garmet back to retrieve her shoes and gloves.

"Damn girl! You look goood!" complimented Gabriella, who came out of her room at the same time as Kelsi did hers. "Zeke's liable to bake you a 10-tiered cake once he gets a look at you."

Taylor laughed, as she stepped into her own dream of perfection. "Yep. Given his new love for Austrian pastry making I wouldn't be surprised if the guy started yodeling right on the spot."

"Definitely. Just like the Swiss Miss commercial...Yo-La-He-Ho!" Gabriella teased, making everyone laugh, including Sharpay.

"Oh Taylor!" Kelsi gasped, when her friend had finished snuggling her every curve into place within the ankle length masterpiece with the ultra sexy side splits up to mid-thigh. "Chad's gonna see you tonight and want to marry you for sure."

Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay all stopped in their tracks totally in shock, turning to gape at the pint-sized beauty.

"What...what...did you say Kel?" Taylor stammered, remembering that her friend still had no idea that she and Chad were engaged.

"I said that Chad is going to want to walk you down the aisle once he gets a load of how fabulous you look," Kelsi replied, completely unaware that she had hit the proverbial nail on the head and didn't even know it.

"I agree," Gabriella chimed in, wanting to laugh at the expression of surprise that lingered on Taylor's face. "He'd be one lucky guy if that happened wouldn't he?"

"Oh yes, the luckiest," Kelsi gushed, the last to take down her garment bag from the closet.

"Well stranger things have happened right Taylor?" Sharpay asked with a knowing look in her friend's direction.

Gabriella was next to collect her garment bag from the closet, handing Kelsi hers as well, then proceeded to open it up and put on her dress. The ooohs and aaahs started right back up again.

"Oh my God Brie you look beyond amazing!" Taylor said admiring the inescapble beauty of the sight before her. "Troy's going to be running behind you tonight like a personally autographed basketball signed by all the LA Lakers."

"That's romantic Tay," Sharpay stated, walking over to the couch where she sat down to slip on her shoes. "Just what every girl wants to hear...that her appeal is on the same level as some piece of sports equipment."

"Wow Kelsi!" Gabriella said, smoothing down the front of her dress as she watched the once awkward girl before her transform into a vision that was going to take everyone by surprise that night. "You look like perfection."

"Yeah Kel you look amazing," Taylor said, joining Sharpay on the couch to put on her shoes. "I think you might be the one getting that proposal tonight."

"Has anyone seen my gloves?" Gabriella asked, looking around frantically.

"Yeah Brie, you laid them down over there," Taylor said pointing to the kitchen counter. "And can you grab mine for me out of my bag as well?"

"Do you think the guys are almost ready?" Kelsi wondered, adjusting the strap on her sparkle sandal.

"Knowing those clowns we'll probably have to meet them at their door," Sharpay joked.

Just then they all heard the sound of rousing laughter from somewhere outside.

"Oh my God there here!" Taylor said, jumping up just as Gabriella handed her her gloves.

"Okay girls this is it, finish up and make it snappy," Sharpay ordered, ready for inspection.

"All we have left to put on are our masques," Taylor said, her stomach doing flip flops.

"I love it," Gabriella said, slipping hers on as they were fashioned to wear like sunglasses. "It makes me feel so mysterious and seductive."

"Me too," Taylor said, putting on her own masque with a smile.

"This is so thrilling. Like being someone else," Kelsi gushed, as she heard the sound of Ryan's voice just outside the door.

Suddenly there came a loud knock as the guys shuffled around on the porch.

"Your prince charmings have arrived ladies, open up the doors of the castle and let us in," Troy called, while in the background Chad and Zeke could be heard laughing.

"Coming!" Sharpay yelled, signaling the girls to her side, as she wanted to open the door with all of them standing in it for maximum effect. "Okay everyone take a deep breath. Now remember...we own tonight and don't any of you forget it."

Then without further adieu, Sharpay opened the door. The speechless silence on both ends spoke volumes.

Looking out at their boyfriends standing there holding their corsages in hand, Taylor, Gabriella, Kelsi and Sharpay couldn't believe their eyes. Each one thought she was going to faint the guys looked so deliciously handsome in their off-white tuxedos. All any of them could do was gawk at them in total appreciation.

Taylor's heart nearly melted to the floor when she spied Chad wearing his normally crazy curls slicked back into a sexy pony tail that showed off the chiseled beauty of his features. They most definitely were going to have a private celebration of their own later that night.

It was the same reaction the other girls had when it came to Troy, Zeke and Ryan, too, each one of them looking like they'd just stepped off the pages of a male model magazine. They were all just too sexy for words.

From where the guys stood it was like every fantasy they'd ever had about Taylor, Sharpay, Gabriella and Kelsi come true. Never before had they seen the girls looking more stunning than they did in that moment. In fact, they were so unbelieveably gorgeous, that Zeke, Troy, Chad and Ryan started wondering how many other guys they would have to beat off of their girlfriends with a stick that night.

It seemed like their heady moment of disbelief at what lay before their eyes on either side of the doorway lasted forever until, in one simulataneous voice that spoke at once, they all uttered the only word that singularly defined their first impressions.

"DAMN!!!!"


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

In the wake of the time stopping moment of speechlessness on both sides, to the emphatically expressed "Damn!" uttered in a singular voice, Chad, Taylor, Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and Kelsi where all finally released from their spell, once again able to be themselves.

"You girls look so beyond amazingly beautiful that there is just no easy way to put it into words," Troy finally stated with complete unwavering sincerity, knowing that he spoke from the heart for each of the other guys.

"He's right," Chad agreed breathlessly, the first among them to reach out and take his girlfriend's hand in his, leading her out onto the porch to his side. "There's no way to describe the pride I feel, we all feel, in knowing you ladies will be on our arms tonight."

"Awww Chad," Taylor sighed, as she glided past Troy and the others toward the light in Chad's eyes she had never seen before, accentuated by the mysteriousness of the masque he wore.

"The same goes for me as well," Zeke said, taking hold of Sharpay's hand with loving gentleness. "If I thought before that cooking was my true passion, I now can see how utterly cluessless I truly was."

Sharpay beamed from ear to ear feeling even more beautiful than she had imagined herself to be.

"Kelsi you're a dream come true," Ryan declared, realizing for the first time just how much of herself she'd hidden from him and the rest of the world all this time. "I'm thrilled and honored to be the one lucky enough to be your escort for the evening."

Kelsi blushed from head to toe, allowing herself to be led out into the night in all her Cinderella-like glory.

Troy just stood there staring at Gabriella for a moment longer, unable to believe that he was the one this amazing beauty had choosen to give her heart too. And to think he'd told Chad he didn't know what the future held in store for them, when all the answer he needed was now gazing up at him with lovely big brown eyes.

"Are you okay babe?" Gabriella asked softly, the sensation of Troy's gaze upon her almost more than she could take, the open depth of his love for her there for all to see.

"Yeah...I'm fine," he stated, giving her a smile that seemed to light up the night. "More than fine."

"Good," Brie said, giving him her hand which he captured in his, never wanting to let go of it ever again.

"So...I guess this means we all passed inspection," Taylor joked, snuggled up against Chad whose beauty and sensuality where driving her absolutely crazy.

"And then some," Sharpay said, her knees still slightly weak from the impression Zeke had made on her at first sight in all his tuxedoed glory. "I had no idea you guys would rival us in being as gorgeous as you all are."

"I second that," Kelsi chimed in, her heart racing at the sight of a Ryan Evans she'd never known, one who was far more than just Sharpay's talented, often times side-kick brother.

"Well all I know is that I will surely have to hurt any girl tonight who even dares to think she's getting a single moment near Chad without me around," Taylor teased, drinking in the scent of his colonge. "Can you say meeting in the ladies room?"

Everyone started laughing, while Chad just shook his head, thinking the very same thing about her and other guys himself.

"So is everyone ready to get this party started?" Zeke asked, as he began walking Sharpay down the stairs.

"You know it!" Troy said, following his lead, as did Chad with Taylor and Ryan with Kelsi. "Tonight is going to be a night to remember because Wildcats will truly be in the house!"

A short time later, as the six of them emerged onto the pathway leading to the main lodge, they began to encounter their fellow classmates along the way, all looking equally spectacular in their tuxedos and red dresses, each with a masque upon their face.

There was an undeniable sense of heightened excitement and vibrant anticipation among them all, as compliments were paid from every direction, hi-fives and thumbs up were given without care, and howls and whistles could be heard over all of Colton's Bay. Everyone it seemed was in a wonderfully festive mood, ready for a night of intoxicating fun.

By the time the mass exodus of seniors had finally begun arriving at the main lodge, all were a bit surprised at what they found awaiting them. The masive doors to the entrace were closed. The stairway leading inside was covered by a red carpet, a velvet rope stretched across. Above it was a large red banner that read "Senior Weekend 2007 Masquerade Ball" pitched between the two large pillars that adorned the walkway.

Just beyond that point, up on the landing above, stood Principal Matthews, Coach Bolton and Mr. Wilson, all dressed in the same tuxedos as those being worn by each of the senior boys. Stationed at either side of the three were Mrs. Bolton and Ms. Phillips, each in lovely red creations of their own, holding baskets adorned with red and white ribbon, filled with what looked to be some type of program.

"What' going on Sharpay?" Kelsi whispered, wondering why they weren't being allowed inside.

"Yeah, why the hold up?" Troy questioned, as he saw a group of senior girls checking him out over Gabriella's shoulder. One of them waved and another blew him a kiss.

"Beats me," Sharpay replied, realizing that she'd been left out of the loop when it came to this part of the event. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Chad and Taylor, two of the most stunning of the senior couples that night, were laughing and whispering to one another, lost in their own little world for the moment, not the least bit concerned that they were all standing around like a herd of cattle. Marissa spied them from the other side of the crowd and wanted to spit nails. Not only did Chad look drop dead sexy tonight, but he was so gone for Taylor that nothing and no one else seemed to matter to him. Just seeing them together so happy and in love made her forget that she was on the arm of the football captain, the envy of most of her friends.

Just then one of the doors opened and Mrs. Darbus stepped out looking like a giant red tomato in her own ode to red, causing many of the seniors to snicker into their hands.

"Quiet everyone. Quiet," she commanded to the excited crowd. "I need to have your attention up front please."

Taylor, Chad and the others turned their attention to the one person who'd been able to turn homeroom into a dreaded class, and waited patiently for her annoucement.

"Welcome one, welcome all to the 2007 Senior Weekend Masquerade Ball!"

Everyone began cheering with applause.

"This is going to be a special night for all of you, but I must first inform of the conduct that is exepcted of each and everyone who enters through these doors."

A tiny wave of groans rippled through the anxious crowd.

"First...no inappropriate or lewd behavior of any fashion will be tolerated at this evening's affair. You are to carry yourselves like the well mannered young ladies and gentlemen I know you can be. Secondly...no one is to leave the ball without permission from a chaperone. Anyone found wandering about the grounds without proper permission will face serious consequences. Last, but not least, you will all enter into the main lodge two at a time in an orderly fashion. Mrs. Bolton and Ms. Phillips will provide you with programs which outline the events we have planned during the course of the ball. Now everyone have a marvelous time."

The crowd erupted into another round of rousing applause, as Coach Bolton came down the stairs to take down the velvet rope, while Principal Matthews and Mr. Wilson pulled opened the main doors. Suddenly a rush of light and music came pouring out into the night as the seniors could hear the sound of Rowdy Ricky beckoning them to come inside and get their party on.

Grabbing Taylor's hand, Chad manuevered them into position behind Troy and Gabriella, with Zeke, Sharpay, Kelsi and Ryan in tow. As they passed Troy's parents to their left, Mrs. Bolton smiled proudly handing each girl a program, telling them all how beautiful they looked, while Coach Bolton gave each of his guys a hi-five as they escorted their girlfriends up the red carpeted stairway to the beat of Fergie's _The Glamorous Life_.

Once inside, all of them were floored at how the lodge had been transformed into the ultimate show palace. There were shimmery red, white and gold balloon bouquets everywhere they looked, a twirling disco ball spinning from the ceiling above. There were flashing lights amid a soft mist lightly dusting the floor, pouring out from behind the stage where Rowdy Ricky in all his glory was sporting a white tux, signaling them all to come on in.

The tables were set up night club style with linen table clothes and beautiful red and white flower arrangements in crystal vases as center pieces. In the far corner was a long buffet table steaming with delicious aroma, at the end of which was a sparkling punch fountain, an ice sculpture at its middle. All of the walls were adorned with hundreds of tiny lights that twinkled like stars in the heavens.

"This is amazing," Taylor said in awe, holding onto Chad's arm as they made their way toward a table near the middle of the room. "I can't believe they did all this for us."

"Neither can I," Gabriella said, as Troy moved her in the direction their best friends were headed. "This place doesn't even look the same from when we were here at breakfast."

"That's the whole point Brie," Sharpay pointed out, Zeke's hands at her waist as they followed behind the others. "What good would a masquarade ball be if we had it some place that looked like we just chowed down on scrambled eggs and bacon?"

"It's absolutely gorgeous," Kelsi gushed, holding Ryan's hand, unable to stop looking around like a kid at Christmas.

They all were nearly at the table Chad had picked out for them to sit at, when Jason and Marcie suddenly crossed their path.

"Dude! Where you been?" Zeke asked, stopping to pat his friend on the back. "By the time we were ready to go you had gone."

"Yeah..I had to go pick up Marcie," Jason said, smiling in the petite redhead's direction.

"Hey Marcie," Zeke said with a friendly smile. "You look great."

"Thanks Zeke," Marcie blushed. "You do too. And Sharpay, you look amazingly lovely."

"Yes I do don't I," Sharpay said without modesty. "Nothing like haute couture to bring out the best in a girl don't you agree?"

"You two are going to join us aren't you?" Troy asked over his shoulder, as he saw Chad and Taylor finally reach their table a few feet away.

"Sure we are," Jason stated, taking Marcie's hand and pulling her along to sit with his friends.

After everyone had found their seats and gotten comfortable, they took a moment to observe the scene before them, as the rest of the seniors made their entrances and located their tables for the night. Rowdy Ricky was waving and hi-fiving to everyone who passed the stage, one side of a pair of headphones pressed to his ear.

As more and more people entered the room the volume inside the lodge rose a few more notches, filled with laughter and non-stop chatter from every end. Chaperones were stationed all about, moving through the crowd to ensure that things were remaining in somewhat orderly fashion.

After a few minutes of talking among their friends, Chad turned to Taylor with a smile, leaning in with his arm draped across the back of her chair.

"Are you happy tonight baby?" he asked, watching her eyes sparkle from behind her milky white masque. "Is senior weekend everything you hoped it would be?"

"Better," Taylor responded, giving him a tiny kiss. "This is just icing on the cake."

Chad laughed. "I thought I was the icing for you?"

Taylor shook her head and gave him a sexy smile as she ran a finger slowly across his beautiful jawline.

"Oh no. You are far more than icing. You're the cake and the filling too," she said kissing him again, only this time letting her lips linger against his a little longer.

"Okay you two cut it out," Troy groaned playfully with a laugh. "We've got all night for that lovey-dovey stuff. Right now what we need to do is get up on the dance floor and put all that money spent on Rowdy Ricky to good use."

"Heeeeeeey!" Gabriella said with a laugh, standing up in her seat, ready to hit the scene. "It's time to shake our booty's everybody!"

"Let's do this!" Zeke said, taking Sharpay's hand and lifting her up out of her seat. "What time is it ya'll?"

"It's party time!" They cheered in unison just as Timbaland and JT came over the speakers to help them get their groove on.

Chad and Taylor watched as one by one their friends got up from the table and headed to the dance floor.

"Later?" Chad said with a wink, standing up and holding out his hand.

"Later," Taylor nodded with a smile as she started moving her hips while being led into the cheering crowd of her ready to party peers.

_An Hour And A Half Later..._

The masquerade ball was in full swing and everyone was having the time of their lives. After the first round of dancing, the group made it's way to the buffet table for a variety of delectable finger foods, filling up glasses from the sparkling punch fountain. Once back at the table, they continued to laugh and talk about what a great night it was and how they couldn't believe that tomorrow they'd be returning home. Everything about their senior weekend had been perfect and no one wanted it to end.

"I'm telling you dude, come Monday morning we're going to be mad hated on after we tell people what went down up here this weekend," Zeke stated, popping a delicious morsel of pastry wrapped shrimp into his mouth. "Nobody's gonna believe all the fun we've had."

"Yep," Troy agreed, nuzzling Gabriella's neck as he reached onto her plate to snatch up a piece of a spicy terriyaki chicken roll. "There's definitely going to be some major hating going on for sure."

"And of course the faculty will be planning on how soon they can erect a statute in Sharpay's honor for single-handedly becoming the queen coordinator of senior weekend," Taylor teased, feeding Chad a taste of sweet and sour skewered beef, as he seductively licked some of the sauce from the tips of her fingers.

"Well they just better be," Sharpay declared jokingly, taking a sip of punch. "After all the hard work and time I invested into this thing I deserve to have an entire wing at East High named after me."

"Gee Shar...you don't want much do you?" Gabriella laughed, smacking Troy's hand lightly, as he went in for another piece of her terriyaki roll.

"Yeah sis, why not just ask for the keys to the city too while you're at it," Ryan suggested, taking his napkin and gently wiping a tiny spot of hot mustard off Kelsi's lower lip.

"Don't think I won't," Sharpay admitted, popping a juicy piece of mango into her mouth. "One way or another this girl is getting payback for being true to her school."

"Well as long as they wait until after we graduate to get the monument to your worhisp up and ready to be seen and adored on a daily basis, it's all fine by me," Chad laughed, as Taylor playfully elbowed him in the stomach.

"If you ask me, I really don't see how next year's prom is going to ever be able to top all of this," Marcie chimed in, leaning up against Jason. "To my recollection nobody in all of East High's history has ever had a senior weekend to rival this one."

"Thank you Marcie," Sharpay said with a satisfied smile. "It's nice to hear an objective party point out the obvious."

Just then their conversation was interrupted by Mrs. Darbus going up on stage to stand by Rowdy Ricky with microphone in hand. The DJ took advantage of the interlude by doing a little dance around their teacher that had the crowd roaring with laughter.

"Man would you get a load of that. Mrs. Darbus has an admirer," Chad stated with a snicker, pointing at the way Rowdy Ricky was pop locking behind the blushing older woman. "I think she's feeling him."

Everyone at the table began cracking up.

Once Mrs. Darbus was able to get the DJ off of her while she blushed like crazy, she held up her hands for another announcement.

"May I have your attention please. Would everyone who is on the floor dancing right now please take your seats and the following five couples come up to the stage: Chad and Taylor, Kelsi and Ryan, Marissa and Brad, Troy and Gabriella, Laura and Duncan."

"Uh oh...what did we do now?" Chad whispered into Taylor's ear as they, Troy, Gabriella, Kelsi and Ryan got out of their seats. "Whatever it is baby you just tell her that you did it okay?"

Taylor laughed taking his hand. "You're so silly. Come on."

When all the pairings had come to the front of the room, Mrs. Darbus had them line up side by side before returning to the microphone.

"Now, as you all remember, we asked you to turn in ballots 20 minutes ago to vote for your choice of best dressed couple of the evening and here standing before you are the winners and runner-ups."

Catcalls, whistles and howls thundered through the enormous room.

"As you know, the winners of tonight's event will be awarded a senior prom exclusive package which includes a dress for the young lady, a suit or tuxedo for the young man, limo service, dinner at the finest restauarnt in town, a corsage, and breakfast after the prom for them and six of their friends. The runners up will receieve one of these prizes of their choosing as a couple, not individually. So without further adieu..."

Rowdy Ricky let loose a simulated drum roll from his console.

"Our fifth place winning couple is...Laura and Duncan!"

There was moderate applause and cheering.

"Next...our fourth place winning couple is...Troy and Gabriella!"

Both looked at each other with a smile and went to stand off to the side next to Laura and Duncan amid a rousing round of applause.

"Now for our third place couple...Ryan and Kelsi!"

Kel looked like she was about to faint on the spot she was still unable to believe that they'd made it up there to begin with. Ryan put an arm around her waist and walked her toward Troy and Brie. Chad and Taylor and Marissa and Brad were the only two other couples left standing.

"And now for our second place couple...Mr. Ricky can I please have another drumroll," Mrs. Darbus requested in a flirty voice that brought forth more cheers and whistles from the crowd.

"Marissa and Brad!"

The room suddenly went wild as people began applauding like crazy when they realized that Chad and Taylor were the winning couple. Marissa wanted to kill them both right there on the spot.

"Us?" Taylor asked, not sure she'd heard right.

"Yes baby us," Chad said taking her into his arms for a hug, as everyone stood up in rousing congratulations. "Didn't I tell you that you looked beyond amazing tonight? Maybe next time you'll believe me."

"Oh wow! This is great! We get to have an all expenses paid prom with a limo and everything," Taylor gushed, as Mrs. Darbus stepped down from the stage with Rowdy Ricky's assistance, to place a bouquet of red and white roses into her arms.

"Congratulations Taylor and Chad. Your classmates have dubbed you the Prince and Belle of this year's senior weekend masquerade ball."

"Thank you so much," Taylor said, accepting the flowers into her arms.

"No need to thank me dear," Mrs. Darbus said, gently patting Taylor's arm. "You are truly a vision of beauty in a room filled with loveliness."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Chad stated full of pride, shaking his teacher's hand.

"Now, you two have the floor for a spotlight dance," Mrs. Darbus said, stepping away as the lights slowly dimmed and the sound of a Mariah Carey love ballad began to fill the room.

The other couples were directed back to their seats. Before heading toward their table, Gabriella passed by and took Taylor's bouquet from her ams with a smile and kiss on the cheek followed by a thrilled hug from Kelsi. Troy gave Chad a hi-five and Ryan offered a pat on the back. Brad rolled his eyes as Marissa, the only one furious at the outcome, stomped off in disgust. Then it was just Chad and Taylor facing one another alone. They stared into the other's eyes lovingly for a moment, before slowly drifting into each other's arms to begin moving around the floor to cheering appreciation from their friends and classmates.

"Don't they look beautiful together?" Gabriella sighed, placing the roses on the table at her return, as she snuggled into Troy's arms to watch the happy couple with everyone else.

"Yeah they sure do," Troy agreed with a nod, noticing over his shoulder that Zeke was whispering something into the ear of an obviously disappointed Sharpay.

Out on the floor, Chad and Taylor were lost in their own world, even though they knew all eyes were upon them. Holding each other close, they savored this most special of moments, a keepsake of yet another memory to add to all the others that had made this weekend of firsts more special than either could put into words.

Just as the dance came to an end, Taylor and Chad both smiled at each other tenderly and mouthed 'I love you', before turning to face their audience who were yelling and screaming their names. Both started laughing as they made their way back to their table, amid a flurry of congratulations from everyone they passed.

"You two were great!" Kelsi gushed, hugging Taylor again before Chad helped her back into her seat.

"You guys were awesome!" Gabriella said reaching across to squeeze Taylor's hand. "I still can't believe you won the whole prom package."

"Neither can I," her best friend said, still in disbelief.

"Yeah man congrats," Zeke said giving Chad the thumbs up. "Nice job."

Taylor suddenly noticed Sharpay's lack of enthusiam for their win and wondered if she was upset that she and Zeke hadn't even been nominated. On the verge of asking her friend if she was okay, Taylor's words were halted before they came out by Mrs. Darbus and her microphone.

"Alright everyone. Before we continue with the rest of the ball, I have one more annoucement to make. Actually it's to give out an award."

The room grew silent as all eyes turned in her direction once again.

"As you all can very well see for yourselves this ball was a huge undertaking. Many many people put countless time and effort into making it the thing of beauty you see before you now. So I would like to take this opportunity to give special thanks to Lucy Bolton, Coach Bolton's wife, and Ms. Phillips and her sister Abbey for all their dedication to making this evening the wonderful event it has truly turned out to be. However, it is with the greatest appreciation and at the insistence of the entire chaperone committee that we reserved the biggest thank you to the one among you who selflessly gave of themself 200 to make this entire weekend, not just tonight, the success that we all can clearly see it has been. Therefore, it is with great pleasure and pride that we ask all of you to stand up and give a much deserved round of applause to the young lady whose heart is at the center of all you've enjoyed. Miss Sharpay Evans!"

The room exploded into a deafening melee of sound as a stunned Sharpay looked on completely speechless.

"Yah Shar!" Taylor screamed, running over to hug her friend as did Gabriella and Kelsi.

"That's my girl! That's my girl!" Zeke said pointing with pride in Sharpay's direction. "Go on up babe and take your bow."

"Yeah sis, go get your props," Ryan said, giving her a kiss on the cheek, as he pushed her forward to make her way through the cheering crowd.

"Yep! You go girl!" Chad and Troy said in unison clapping in all sincerity.

Suddenly Sharpay's face lit up as she realized that her moment of disappointment only seconds before had been replaced by full blown respect and adoration from her peers. When she finally reached the front, Mrs. Darbus handed her a beautiful plague and her own armful of roses.

"Well done Miss Evans. Well done."

"Thank you," Sharpay said, drinking in the love for her that filled the room.

She stared out into the crowd of smiling faces with an overwhelmed heart. To be here like this before all the people she cared about and to be recognized as she was lifted her to a sense of accomplishment that being apart of a show had never given her. Then with a smile she raised her plaque in one hand and her roses in the other and shouted, "Hey DJ, now lets really get this party started! Wildcats get on up here and show Rowdy Ricky what you're working with !"


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

_Camouflaged from view, binoculars fixed on the windows of the main lodge, the eyes of revenge watched as the red and white masquerade ball continued to progress late into the night. The party had been going strong for three hours now with everyone appearing to be having a wonderful time. Everyone that is but Marissa. _

_She, yet again, had suffered another humiliating blow when Taylor and Chad had won the coveted title of best dressed couple, leaving her spirit angry and near broken. _

_Meanwhile, her enemies had basked in the adoration of their peers like royalty, remaining untouched by anything that spoke of unhappiness or disappointment. But soon…very soon…the two whose joy was a constant slap in the face reminder of Marissa's failure to have what she desired most, would be dealt with, swiftly and with purpose. Tonight Marissa's tears would end and those of Taylor and Chad would finally at long last begin. _

With an hour to go before the clock struck midnight, the masquerade ball was still going strong with no signs of stopping.

At present, Zeke, Sharpay, Gabriella and Troy were all on the floor dancing to a slow song, wrapped in a cozy moment of romance. Jason, Marcie, Kelsi and Ryan were off talking to a group of Marcie's friend on the other side of the room, while Chad and Taylor were seated alone at their table, heads together, making plans for their own private little party later, to commomerate what would be the last official night of senior weekend.

"God tonight has been amazing," Taylor sighed, laying her head against Chad's shoulder, as her eyes swept over the dance floor, smiling at the sight of Troy and Brie and Zeke and Sharpay looking equally as happy and in love as they. "No one could have ever made me believe that two days ago my life would be forever altered so completely or the course of our futures so entwined."

"I know," Chad agreed, softly caressing her arm. "So much has happened to all of us in a mere 48 hours that it seems like we're going back home as different people all together."

"We are," Taylor stated, looking up into his eyes seriously. "You've changed my life forever this weekend. Nothing will be the same for either of us ever again from this point forward and I couldn't be happier."

"Same here," Chad replied, kissing her forehead gently. "You and only you are my world now Tay . It's you and me always from here on out."

Smiling, Taylor snuggled in closer, wrapping an arm around his waist, as they watched the slow dance between their friends come to an end and Troy, Gabriella, Zeke and Sharpay began to make their way back to the table.

"So did you two miss us?" Troy asked jokingly, pulling Gabriella's chair out for her to sit down.

"Hell no," Chad laughed.

"Didn't think so."

"I'm thirsty Zeke, can you get me some more punch?" Sharpay purred sweetly, fanning herself.

"I'll go Shar," Taylor offered, sitting up in her chair. "I'm thirsty too."

"Great."

"You want me to go with you?" Chad asked, already missing the warmth of her body next to his.

Taylor shook her head and stood up. "It's okay. I think I can handle it on my own."

"Well hurry back so I don't get too lonely without you," Chad teased, watching her walk away with a sigh.

When Taylor got to the punch fountain she was greeted by a group of girls who all congratulated her again on winning best dressed. She thanked them for their support and then watched as they left in search of their dates for the last bit of dancing before the night was over.

Now standing alone, Taylor was just about to reach for two glasses to fill, when she suddenly felt an arm slide across her waist with familiarity. Smiling, she slowly turned around ready to tease Chad for following her, when she came face-to-face with the last person she expected.

"Brad!" Taylor exclaimed, wide-eyed with shock. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm saying hello to the hottest girl in the room tonight," the handsome senior replied, a hint of alcohol on his breath.

"Have you been drinking?" Taylor asked, moving herself out of his reach, as she stood staring at him more than a little annoyed. "Because if you have you better not let Coach Bolton or Mrs. Darbus find out."

"Darbus sharmbus," Brad slurred slightly, smiling at his own attempt at being funny. "I didn't come over here to talk about her I came over to talk about you and how amazing you look tonight."

Taylor raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? Well thanks for the compliment, but shouldn't you be off somewhere panting behind Marissa? You know...your date?"

Brad laughed, shaking his head amused. "Taylor, Taylor, Taylor. That's what I've always liked about you. Never the kind of girl who holds back any punches. I can totally see why Chad is so sprung. If I had a smokin number like you on my arm, I wouldn't give Marissa or any of these other girls the time of day either."

"Is there a point you're trying to make?" Taylor asked, growing uncomfortable under his leering gaze, looking over to where Chad and the others were sitting, still seemingly unaware of her odd encounter.

"Actually there is," Brad replied, inching a bit closer. "I think it's a shame that a hottie like you is wasting her time on a guy like Danforth. I mean...you could do so much better."

"Oh you do? How's that?" Taylor questioned defiantly.

"Well for starters...when we get back home, why not let me take you out. Then I can better show you what I mean," Brad stated rather conceitedly.

Taylor couldn't keep herself from laughing. "Look, the only thing you can show me Brad is how fast you can grab a glass of punch and get out of my face."

"Awww Tay...don't be like that, I'm just trying to wise you up so you can see how you're missing out on the finer things in life," Brad stated, reaching out to trace a finger against her necklace provocatively.

Taylor slapped his hand down angrily. "First...don't you ever put your hands on me again. Second, don't call me Tay. Third, if you're considered the finer things in life I'll pass. Now if you don't mind, I've got to get back to my friends and even more importantly, Chad."

"Wow! You're even hotter when your mad," Brad laughed, admiring her fiestiness. "Danforth must really have his hands full keeping a firecracker like you under control, an opportunity I myself wouldn't mind having."

"I'm done here," Taylor snapped putting down the glasses in her hand. "You're talking stupid, wasting my time and I've had enough."

She attempted to move past him without further exchange, but he reached out a hand and took hold of her wrist.

"Wait...I'm not finished talking to you yet," Brad slurred, strangely turned on by her open rejection of his advances. "There's still a few things you and I need to straighten out."

"The only thing you'll be straightening out are your fingers after I break every single one," came a seething voice from behind them.

Startled, both Taylor and Brad turned to see Chad standing there staring at them with outraged eyes. He held out his hand for her to come to his side, which she did without hesitation.

"Now look Danforth...it's not what you think," Brad began explaining with a cocky smile. "I was just telling your girl here how nice she looked tonight."

"No, what you were doing was trying to hit on her when she clearly wants nothing to do with you," Chad replied, putting a protective arm around Taylor. "Or didn't I just overhear you telling her some crap about experiencing the finer things in life, namely you?"

Brad threw up his hands in mock apology. "Okay, okay so you caught me. You can't blame a guy for trying right? I have to give it to you Danforth. Here we all thought Taylor was just a cute little braniac when all the time she was hotness personified. No wonder you gave Marissa the slip and went for yours."

Chad lurched forward like he was about to punch Brad dead in his smug face, but Taylor grabbed his arm in the nick of time.

"Baby don't. He's drunk and so not worth it," she pleaded, not wanting anything to ruin their wonderful night. "Let's just go back to the table and leave this loser to himself."

"Yeah Chad...listen to your girl and go back to your table like a good little boy. I'm sure the last thing you want is to get shown up in front of her or any of your friends," Brad taunted, making no attempts to hide that he was checking Taylor out with his eyes from head to toe.

This alone was enough to set Chad off and he was about to lunge for Brad again, when Mrs. Darbus walked up with an unsmiling look on her face.

"Just what is going on here gentlemen?" She sternly asked, looking at the two young men on the verge of coming to blows. "Are we about to encounter a problem?"

"Ummm...no Mrs. Darbus...everything's fine, Chad and I were just going back to our table," Taylor spoke up nervously.

"Well I think that's a good idea Miss McKessie, considering that you only have about 45 minutes or so left to enjoy the last of this evening's delights."

"Yes ma'am...you're absolutely right," Taylor said, taking Chad's arm, trying to pull him gently away. "My sentiments exactly."

"Glad to hear it," Mrs. Darbus said, looking between the two young men whose eyes were locked in silent combat.

She then wrinkled up her nose with distaste. "Is that alcohol I smell on someone's breath?"

The three seniors just stood there as Mrs. Darbus took a few more sniffs of the air around them to be sure, before focusing her attention on the believed culprit who had suddenly become a little nervous under her radar.

"Bradley have you been drinking tonight?" she questioned, a look of complete displeasure clouding her face.

"Why...ummm...no ma'am," Brad stuttered, as a tiny smile crept across Taylor's lips, glad that he had been caught.

"Don't lie to me young man," Mrs. Darbus irritiably snapped. "I know alcohol when I smell it. I want you to come with me right now. This sort of behavior is totally unacceptable and must be dealt with accordingly."

"But...but..." Brad tried his best to explain but was shut down when their teacher held up a hand to his face.

"Not another word from you mister," she stated, clearly upset and not in the mood to hear some lame excuse for breaking an explicit infraction of the rules. "Taylor. Chad. Please return to your evening. Bradley...come with me."

Glaring over his shoulder furiously, the football team captain reluctantly followed behind Mrs. Darbus, silently vowing payback on others for his own stupid mistake. Marissa saw him being led to the chaperone table and rushed over to find out what had happened. Brad snarled at her to get away from him.

"Everything was going so perfectly and then this had to happen," Taylor said, her voice tinged with disappointment. "What in the world was Brad thinking getting drunk or at the very least tipsy? Did he really think no one was going to eventually catch on?"

"What I want to know is what he was thinking trying to put the moves on you like that?"Chad stated, not the least bit sympathetic that Darbus had busted him for drinking.

"Me too. It was really weird, creepy and totally out of character, considering Brad's never paid me more than a few seconds worth of attention in the past," Taylor mused, a puzzled expression on her face as they reached the table.

"And just what the heck was that all about?" Troy instantly pounced, as Chad sat down in the chair beside him. "Brad the Cad up to his old tricks again?"

"Yeah Tay, if I didn't know any better I swear it looked like he was coming on to you when Chad walked up," Gabriella stated.

"Oh it definitely looked that way to me too," Sharpay chimed in, eagerly awaiting all the gory details. "And did you see the way he practically ripped Marissa's head off when he was being escorted away by Mrs. Darbus? I really want to know what that was all about?"

"Look guys it isn't all that deep," Taylor declared, not wanting the last precious moments of their awesome evening preoccupied with talk about people she truly could care less about. "Brad was drunk, made some stupid comments to me, and then got busted when alcohol was detected on his breath. End of story."

"Well he must have been making some pretty heavy coments the way Chad charged over there," Troy noted, remembering the fury he'd seen in his friend's eyes.

"As long as it's all over and we can get back to our good time I don't care what that idiot had to say," Taylor stated, grabbing Gabriella's hand. "Come on Brie, let's go dance. You too Shar."

"Hey! What about us?" Chad asked, throwing up his hands along with Troy and Zeke.

"You know where to find us!" Gabriella smiled back at the table, as the three of them stepped out onto the dance floor and started getting their groove back on again.

It was a quarter to midnight, when Principal Matthews stepped up on stage after an evening of annonymity, taking hold of the microphone, and signaling for everyone's attention.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, it looks as if our evening and weekend are both slowly coming to an end. I can't tell you enough how proud I've been of each and every one of you and the way you've conducted yourselves these past two days in what has to be one of the most amazing places I've ever been too."

Shouts, cheers and applause rang out among the crowd.

"In all my years as principal at East High, I can honestly say that this was and is by and far, the best senior weekend I've ever attended. You all should feel very very lucky to have been given this wonderful opportunity and to have experienced things that some people never do in a lifetime. As you know, tomorrow we will be departing for home at 2:00 p.m. Please make sure that you have your bags packed and outside your front doors no later than 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning so that they can be picked up by resort staff and taken to the buses. Double check your rooms before you leave to ensure that you are bringing back everything you arrived with. There will be a farewell brunch beginning at 11:30 a.m., after which time we will proceed with boarding in the same exact grouping that you were assigned when we left on Friday. And with that senior class of 2008, I ask that you all come out onto the floor now and enjoy the very last dance of this marvelous evening."

Again came the applause and cheers as anyone who hadn't already been dancing when the annoncement came, rushed from their seats to have one final hurrah.

"Let's do this people!" Troy shouted, taking Gabriella by the hand, spinning her around, and then dipping her nearly to the floor, as Chad, Taylor, Ryan, Kelsi, Jason, Marcie, Zeke and Sharpay all gathered around and gave the last dance of the night their all.

_12:15 a.m._

"Wow! I still can't believe this night is over," Gabriella gushed, as the girls entered their lodge and turned on the lights. "I feel like I could keep dancing until the sun comes up."

"Me too," Kelsi sighed, taking a seat on the couch, a smile of total bliss across her pretty face. "Everything was simply perfect."

"Yes it was Kel," Taylor agreed, placing her roses on the kitchen counter, then slipping off her sandals before dropping into a chair. "In fact, I wish this entire weekend could go on forever."

"I told you it was going to be a legendary time," Sharpay said proudly, laying her bouquet right next to Taylor's along with her plague of appreciation. "Zeke was so right when he said there are going to be many a person mad hating on us come Monday after we tell them what a fantastic time we had and how this was the best senior weekend trip ever."

"Yes Shar you did tell us and for once I have no problem admitting you were right," Gabriella teased, starting to take her hair down until it fell around her shoulders. "Just don't let it go to your head okay?"

"Of course it's going to my head Brie," Sharpay teased back. "Just like that beautiful plague of mine is going in the first floor showcase for all to see and know that Sharpay Evans is the queen of the senior weekend."

"Oh goodness! Do I hear the sound of contruction come Tuesday morning on that statute to be placed on the front lawn in this girl's image?" Taylor joked, shaking her head.

"No rush. They can get started on Wednesday instead," Sharpay joked, making all of them laugh.

Kelsi stiffled a yawn. "Well I don't know about the rest of you but as great as tonight was in every way, I have to say I'm pretty tired and think I'll turn in."

"I have to admit I agree with you there," Gabriella said, feeling the last of her adrenaline starting to fade. "I'm going to take a quick shower and then hit the sheets."

"Yes, as glorious as we all are feeling right now, like we could go on all night, we'll be nothing nice come morning when we have to pack and be out of here if we're only functioning on a few hours sleep," Sharpay conceded, reaching behind her back to unzip her dress.

Taylor nodded at all of her friend's words, while in the back of her mind she was wondering how quickly she could change her clothes and slip out unnoticed to meet up with Chad as planned.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

It was nearly 1:00 a.m., when Sharpay, Gabriella and Kelsi finally turned out the lights in their rooms, signaling to Taylor that it was safe at last for her to slip away unnoticed.

Dressed in jeans, a hooded shirt, and jacket while carrying her tennis shoes in hand, she quietly closed the door to her room and made her way down the steps careful to make as little noise as possible.

Once outside, Taylor sighed with releif that she hadn't aroused any suspicion from her friends, and was happy when she saw Chad sitting on the deck patiently waiting for her to arrive.

"Hey," she whispered with a smile, as he got up from where he'd been sitting and took her hand in his. "Sorry I'm so late."

"Actually you're right on time," Chad said, his voice hushed and low. "You all ready to celebrate?"

Taylor nodded, curious as to where they were going.

"Good. Then follow me," Chad advised, gently pulling her along behind him down the steps.

They walked hand in hand in silence for a few minutes, until they came upon the jr. lodge which was apart of their site, but had been purposely kept vacant by Sharpay to allow their group more privacy during their stay for the weekend.

"What are we doing here?" Taylor asked, staring at the darkened building in surprise.

"You'll see," Chad replied, heading for the stairs.

Once they were standing on the deck of the replica of their own accommodations, he reached under the mat at the front door and held up a key with a smile.

"Where in the world did you get that?" Taylor wondered, realizing that this was no spontaneous action on Chad's part, but something well thought out and planned.

"Let's just say that money and dropping the name Evans around here pretty much gets you whatever you want," Chad answered, inserting the key and opening the door.

At first everything was dark and quiet with only the shadowed outlines of the livingroom furniture visible to Taylor's eyes. Then she noticed a soft glow coming from under the doorway of one of the bedrooms, which immediately peaked her interest.

"What have you done Chad Danforth?" she questioned, a knot of exciment in her stomach. "We could be in very big trouble if anyone found out we were here."

"Stop worrying Tay," he said, confident in his plan as he led her to the closed door with the light beneath it. "Nobody is going to find out a thing I promise. You trust me don't you?"

"Of course I trust you but..." Taylor began hesitatantly.

"No buts...just come with me," Chad ordered as he placed his hand on the doorknob and turned.

What came next took Taylor completely and utterly by surprise, as the secret behind the soft glowing light was finally revealed to her eyes.

"Surprise!" Chad breathed against her ear, as she stared around the room in speechless awe.

Everywhere she looked there were tiny scented candles a flame, filling the air with the scent of vanilla and jasmine. The bed, much like the one in her own room, was beautifully turned down with lovely black satin sheets, a single red rose perfectly poised at the center where the pillows came together. There was a bottle of sparkling cider chilling in a stand not far from the bed, two champagne glasses set to it's side.

"Oh my God Chad," Taylor sighed, her heart overwhelmed. "This is the most romantic thing I've ever seen."

"Not bad for a dumb jock huh?" Chad stated, pleased by the expression of total happiness he saw upon her face.

"It's amazing and wonderful and something I never imagined in a millon years," Taylor gushed, turning to look at him with her heart in her eyes. "How did you do all this without anyone finding out?"

"Well it wasn't easy that's for sure," Chad admitted with a smile. "But like I said, some cash and the Evans name worked a few miracles in my favor."

"And you're sure nobody knows that we're here?"

"No one except for the staff member I paid to help me get everything ready. No worries, they won't say a word to anyone."

"I still can't believe this is real," Taylor said, closing her eyes to drink in the room's fragrant aroma. "That you would do something like this for me just blows my mind completely."

"Why?" Chad asked seriously. "I love you Taylor. I've asked you to share your life with me. A gesture like this simply goes along with the territory."

"I know, I know...but...gosh...I just never expected anything this wonderful," she said, moving into his arms like they were her home.

"Well I wanted to do something special for our last night here together, and this was the best I could come up with. I know it might be a little over the top and unlike the me that everyone else knows, but it was the only thing I could think of on such short notice to show you how happy you've made me," Chad explained, holding onto Taylor tightly, never wanting to let her go.

She pulled back slightly from their embrace to look into his eyes, the expression on her face so beautiful it made his heart ache for her, before she leaned back in and kissed him passionately with a full heart. Chad responded in kind, wrapping Taylor so close in his arms, that her feet were lifted off the floor. The hunger and need between them was electric and it swept them up in intense emotions that both were equally ready to surrender to.

Chad slowly began moving them both toward the bed with Taylor clinging to him desperately, the sound of their kissing all that could be heard. So lost were they in each other, that neither was even remotely aware of the tiny creak made by the front door as it opened, bringing vengeful danger into the heart of their happiness.

They were just starting to pull at each other's clothes, only inches away from falling into heaven, when suddenly there was a loud thud and Chad fell to the floor unconscious. Startled by the way he went limp in her arms, Taylor immediately panicked and went to call his name in fear, when she caught sight of Julian standing directly behind them, holding a rubber mallet in his hand.

"Noooooooo!" Taylor screamed, as she bent down by Chad's side stroking his head in sheer terror, caring nothing about the jeopardy of her own safety. "Chad! Baby! Chad! Can you hear me!"

"Hello Taylor," Julian said calmly, his voice dripping with undisguised malice. "I told you we'd see each other this weekend."

"You bastard!" she spat trembling, as she remained on the floor trying desperately to make sure that Chad was still alive and breathing. "What have you done?"

"Just what I said I would," came Julian's sadistic response, as he slowly circled around them, enjoying the terror he saw flashing in her eyes. "Your boyfriend didn't believe me when I told him I'd have my revenge."

Taylor tried to shut out his words, as she sought to find a pulse to ensure that Chad was still with her. When she found one and realized that he wasn't dead, the stabbing pain in her heart allievated slightly.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Taylor raged from where she sat on the floor, her arm wrapped protetively around the man she loved. "You could have killed him!"

Julian nodded as he sat down on the bed, picking up the single rose that Chad had meant for her and sniffing it with sublime arrogance.

"Yes, I could have killed your precious Mr. Danforth and believe me I wanted too but..."

"But what?" Taylor seethed, wanting to claw his eyes out with her bare hands.

"But I know that the best way to kill him is to take away what he loves the most and that my dear is you," Julian replied with an evil smirk that sent shivers down her spine.

Taylor, filled with both fear and fury, was about to make an attempt to defend herself and Chad from this lunatic by any means possible when, from somewhere behind, a cloth was suddenly slammed against her face, and within in a matter of seconds everything went black...

_2:00 a.m._

Gabriella awoke with a start from a deep sleep, her body bathed in sweat and trembling.

As a child she'd been plagued by these types of nocturnal occurrences much to her dismay, having gradually, or so she thought, outgrown them through the years until they'd become nothing but a distant memory for her...until now.

When younger, her mother had explained these happenings as dream premonitions, and spoke of how Gabriella's great-great-great-grandmother and great-grandmother had both been blessed with the same "sight" as she and to consider it a gift. Gabriella only ever saw this as a curse, especially when as a child, several of her dreams had come true during the time she and her parents resided in a small town in Texas. They had led her to see the debilitating illness of one of her best friend's parents and the death of a beloved teacher.

The very last time she'd been filled with such a feeling of dread behind one of these dreams was right before her own father had died. For years Gabriella had carried around an enormous burden of guilt at having had a premonition about his impending death in a car accident, which she hadn't spoken of to either of her parents before it happened. Afterwards, the dreams had stopped completely and she finally believed herself free, but at a price that would haunt her for the rest of her days. It was a closely guarded secret about herself that she'd never dared to share with anyone outside of her family ever.

Pushing back the covers with a sigh, Gabriella ran her fingers through her hair and checked the time of the clock on the nightstand. It read 2:02 a.m.

Remembering how it was for her in the past when a premonition had come, she closed her eyes and slowly allowed the images that came so clear in her dream to resurface into her conscious mind to form a complete picture.

The first thing thing she recalled was long dark hair, likely that of a woman. A few seconds passed before the next image emerged, this one of a man lying face down on the floor, someone tall with cold black eyes standing over him. For some unknown reason, has had happened before, she could also detect smells along with her images and in this instance it was the mingled scent of vanilla and jasmine that faintly played with her senses. Gabriella still had no idea as to who or what she had been dreaming about, only that the premonition was strong with a feeling of doom, as if time were slowly running out.

She waited for the flow of more images to continue but, to her great surprise, it seemed to have stopped just as suddenly as it had come, leaving her to feel frustrated and afraid.

Instinctively, Gabriella knew that something somewhere was happening or was about to happen and she still didn't know if it involved someone close to her as that was not always the case. She'd oftetimes had had dreams about people she didn't know personally, which were usually far easier to handle: a celebrity, a media figure, someone who lived on the same street as she. But Gabriella knew in this instance by the strong feeling of foreshadowing, that this dream was about someone she knew and likely loved and cared about and it sent a cold snaking feeling up and down her spine that her conscious mind had yet to make that specific distinction known to her. Why oh why had the images stopped?

_2:15 a.m._

As Taylor drifted in and out of her grogginess, she could hear the sound of voices around her, but was unable to tell from where they were coming or who was speaking...

_"...is he still out cold?"_

_"...punk is still lying on the floor in the other room."_

_"Did you remember to tie him up good?"_

_"Not even Houdini himself could get out of that rope job."_

_"...Taylor...any signs of coming too?" _

_"Not the last time I checked. I thought the whole point of this was to see that she didn't come too ever again?" _

_"...all in due time...we must have patience."_

_The voices growing muffled...someone saying they would check on Chad again..._

Hearing the sound of his name did something to Taylor and she was finally able to begin slowly pulling herself out of her drug induced state. Her head was pounding and her throat on fire.

Realizing that she had been lying down on the bed, she struggled to sit upright but found her attempt thwarted by the fact that her hands were tied together same as her feet.

Taylor laid their fighting her way back to full consciouness, when the thought of Chad came blazing into her mind and made her heart race with fear. What had been done to him and where was he? Even more terrifying was that she had no idea if he were still alive.

"Well, well, well...looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake again," came Julian's hated voice, causing Taylor to cringe at the sound.

She turned her head to the side and saw him standing in the doorway leering at her with cruel unfeeling eyes. How she could have ever for one minute thought this monster was her friend was beyond Taylor's grasp. Whatever was happening now was all her fault from the very first day she allowed Julian to lure himself into their lives.

"Where's Chad?" Taylor demanded woozily, raising her head up from the pillow. "What have you done to him?"

"Where's Chad? What have you done to him?" Julian mimicked with evil delight, refusing to give her an answer.

"Tell me damnit! Where is he!" Taylor hissed, trying to not appear as terrified as she was.

Julian shook his head. "God you sound pathetic. Your own life is hanging in the balance and all you can do is whine about that loser boyfriend of yours. Geez. And to think I actually thought at some point you were worth my time. So glad I wised up before it was too late."

"Please, just tell me where he is or if he's okay?" Taylor begged, not caring what Julian thought about her concern for the one she loved.

He approached the bed and sat down, reaching out to caress her face without feeling.

"No worries princess. Super jock is right where I left him, unconscious and unknowing as to what awaits him upon awakening. Trust that the tables will soon turn and it will be he who is crying out for you but in his case there will be no answer ever again."

"I hope you burn in hell for whatever you are planning to do me."

"Actually my dear, this bit of brillance is all my own doing," came an unfamiliar voice to Taylor's ear.

She turned her head in the direction of the doorway and saw a beautiful woman standing their staring at her with open hatred, even though she was smiling.

"You've caused a great deal of trouble by not knowing your place young lady," the woman continued in that calm unnerving voice that rang of insanity, approaching Taylor like a predator stalking its prey. "Hurting people and bringing nothing but shame and despair into their lives. Did you really believe you could do all of that and not go unpunished?"

Taylor looked at the woman in bewildering terror and then suddenly realized that they had in fact met once before only a few days ago.

"I...I know you," Taylor said in stunned horror, as recognition slowly came flooding back to her still hazy mind.

"Yes my dear that you do. We had the pleasure of meeting the other night. In case you've forgotten I'll take a moment to reintroduce you to the person who will be responsible for your death. My name is Margot, dear heart. Margot DeLeon. I'm Marissa's mother."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Gabriella paced the floor of her room with fearful urgency.

Something awful was happening or about to, and the longer it took for her to unravel the necessary clues, the less time she had to prevent whatever horrific outcome lay on the horizon.

And while she still had no clear picture of the people involved by either face or name, she felt in her heart that those she sensed in danger were people who mattered a great deal to her, and that only heightened her feelings of anxiety.

Sighing, Gabriella went to sit on the bed to workout her dilemma. She closed her eyes and fell back against the pillows, taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to clear her mind and focus on the few images that she could recall: a woman with long dark hair; a man lying unconscious on the floor; another man standing over him. Who were they? Where were they? How could she get to them in time to stop hand of fate from destroying what she believed were innocent lives?

_2:30 a.m._

Chad slowly opened his eyes with a groan, his head throbbing with intense pain as if it had been split in two.

The last thing he could clearly remember was that he and Taylor were kissing; on the verge of making love, when suddenly everything had gone dark.

As more and more consciousness began to filter in, Chad very quickly realized that something was very very wrong, made even more obvious upon discovering that both his hands and feet were bound.

"What the hell?" he mumbled, trying to raise himself up, staring at the rope around his limbs as if they couldn't possibly be real.

Looking around from his floored position, Chad saw that he was lying in the bedroom where he and Taylor had last been standing, only now she was nowhere in sight. Then he heard a familiar voice coming from the living room and strained his head in its direction.

"Honestly Taylor...I truly believed that someone as smart as yourself would have learned long ago that girls like you don't belong with boys like Chad. It's simply ridiculous. Now my Marissa? She's the one for him through and through; especially since all of these years I've groomed her into becoming the perfect compliment to his life in every way."

_"Mrs. DeLeon?"_ Chad whispered to himself in utter shock, unable to believe the words he was hearing from the next room. His mother's life-long best friend was the mastermind behind the madness taking place right now?

"If you really believe that your daughter is Chad's perfect match then you don't know Chad at all," Taylor could be heard stating defiantly. "He's good, kind, and loving. Totally beautiful from the inside out. And while your Marissa may be beautiful on the outside, clearly she's just as crazy on the inside as you."

At the sound of her voice, Chad's heart skipped a beat and he smiled with a heartfelt sigh of relief. For the time being she was okay.

"Those are very bold words for someone who is about to be removed like the problem you are from not only Chad's life but life period," Mrs. DeLeon hissed, in that same calm manner she'd possessed right from the start, making her presence even all the more scarier. "Given that you've flaunted yourself in front of my nephew for months, teasing and flirting with him every chance you got, I daresay you are in any position to pass judgment on me or mine."

Taylor laughed in the face of her fear with false bravado. "Flaunt myself? Flirt and tease? Are you for real lady? All I ever did was be nice to Julian and try to appreciate the friendship he offered under the guise of being a mentor. Any notions of something more were strictly his. He always knew how I felt about Chad, it was never a secret. And I can and will pass judgment on your nut job of a daughter whose so desperate to be loved that she spent the last year of her life chasing behind someone who didn't and doesn't want her any longer, using pathetic tactics at every turn to get him back. Oh yeah...Marissa is definitely a fine example of what great parenting looks like."

Although terrified for Taylor's safety, in that moment, Chad's heart filled with pride. Even though he couldn't see her with his eyes, he felt her being and he knew instinctively that she was scared out of her mind. Why wouldn't she be? Mrs. DeLeon had obviously gone over the edge and was trying to justify her insanity by putting the blame on his relationship with Taylor. But even in knowing this, she refused to cower.

Desperate to find a way to get to her or at least let her know that he was alright in spite of their ordeal, Chad rolled himself over onto his back, managing to sit upright with minimal sound. He knew that as long as his being awake went undetected, there was still a chance that he'd have enough time to figure out a way to get them both free. Quietly determined, Chad began trying to loosen the ropes at his wrists, remembering how as a kid, one of his icons had been magician Harry Houdini.

"Don't listen to her Aunt Margot. She tried to pull that holier than thou innocent number on me too," Julian sneered at Taylor's last comment. "It's just an act. She has the nerve to call Risa desperate, like she's so much better. You and I both saw how easily she was about to give it up to that curly-headed freak of a boyfriend of hers no questions asked."

"What you walked in on you sick pervert were two people who love each other with all their hearts and can show it in ways that don't involve near rapes in an empty classroom and psycho abductions by someone's family members," Taylor snapped, defensively, eyes blazing with indescribable rage.

"I've had just about enough of you and your mouth young lady..." Margot Deleon stated coldly, on the verge of saying more, when she stopped in mid-sentence and turned in the direction of the bedroom.

"Julian...I hear something...go and see if our other guest has decided he's ready to join us, which for his sake I hope is not the case," his aunt instructed, her radar up for any unforeseen problems.

Moving past the chair where Taylor sat praying desperately in her mind for a miracle, Julian as he was told and went to check the bedroom. Hearing his approach, Chad quickly flipped himself back over onto his stomach and pretended to still be unconscious.

"Naw...the little wimp is still out cold," Julian reported from the doorway, glaring down at Chad with dark hateful eyes. "Do you want me to try and wake him up because it would be my pleasure to knock his ass out again?"

"No dear," Margot replied with sinister sweetness, walking over to sit down on the couch and cross her legs, eyes never once leaving Taylor's face. "It's better for everyone if he stays out of our way altogether. The last thing we need is for him to try and play hero if he came too and saw what we were doing to his precious little girlfriend here. Best to leave him as he is so that when he does finally awaken, it will already be far too late to stop my plans."

"And just what are your plans Aunt Margot?" Julian asked, giving Chad one last look of disgust before turning from the doorway. "I mean...we've been here for almost an hour now, and you haven't made any attempt to handle what it is that you came here for in the first place."

Margot DeLeon shot her nephew a look of irritation, but masked it over with one of her grotesquely evil smiles.

"I'm waiting on Marissa to arrive before I carry out the final details," she explained

"Marissa? You mean she knows we're here?" Julian stated with surprise, believing that what they were doing was have remained secret, even from their own family.

"Yes nephew," Margo stated with some exasperation. "My darling baby knows that I'm here...or at least she did once returning heartbroken from that farce of a masquerade ball, finding the note I left asking her to meet me here at 3:00 a.m."

"Why 3:00 a.m. and not sooner?" Julian questioned, not sure if he agreed with his aunt's decision to drag Marissa into the situation.

"Honestly Julian, sometimes I wonder if you are truly my sister's child or what," Margot scolded shaking her head disbelievingly. "Have you forgotten silly boy that 3:00 a.m. is the time when my beautiful little Risa came into the world all those years ago? Suffice it to say, I thought it only fitting to commemorate such a happy occasion by symbolically taking away the life of her foulest enemy within the same exact hour of her soon to be re-birth back to the life she was destined to have."

In hearing these words coming from the mouth of a bona fide lunatic, Taylor for the very first time, actually believed that she might really end up dead.

On the floor in the other room, Chad listened to Mrs. Deleon horrified, and pressed his face into the carpet, stifling the sound of an agonizing no.

_2:55 a.m._

After laying in silence for what seemed like forever, the return of the images that Gabriella had been so desperate for, finally came over her with a vengeance.

Gasping aloud at the thoughts racing through her mind, she sat straight up on the bed, eyes wide with fright, uttering the only two words that mattered...Taylor and Chad!

Gabriella sensed that they both were in extreme danger and, while having seen their faces clearly, she still had no clue as to where they could possibly be only that she had to try and find them before it was too late.

_3:00 a.m._

When Marissa finally arrived as instructed, she seemed far less surprised at Julian's presence than that of her mother's.

"See baby, didn't mama promise you that she'd make everything all right again?" Margot DeLeon cooed, pointing at a distraught Taylor seated in a chair with her arms and legs tied up, as mother and daughter passed by to sit down on the couch.

"Where's Chad?" Marissa asked, looking around with concern, all but dismissing Taylor's very existence or her soon to be fate. "You haven't hurt him have you?"

"Now sweetie why would I hurt Chad?" her mother asked, openly disappointed by the accusation. "Everything I'm doing here is for you and he both. This is all to ensure your future happiness. Don't you know that by now?"

"I do," Marissa conceded with a nod. "But I also know how you can get. I just need to see for myself that he's okay."

"Of course baby, of course," Margot DeLeon agreed patting her daughter's hand, as she walked her over to the open bedroom door. "He's in here."

Cautiously peeking into the room, the first thing that Marissa noted was that prior to Taylor and Chad being taken by surprise from her mother's wrath, they had apparently been about to enjoy a romantic interlude. The very thought made her want to hurl. She glanced down at the unmoving body on the floor and was surprised when her heart caught in her throat. How was it possible to still love Chad so strongly after everything he'd done to her, and yet hate him so completely at the same time?

"See sweetheart, just as I told you, he's fine."

"How long has he been like that?" Marissa asked, fighting back the desire to go to him.

"Oh it's been a while now," her mother replied thoughtfully. "Julian gave him quite a little tap on the head, so I suspect he'll remain this way long enough to take care of our little problem."

"I wanted to do way more than that!" Julian stated. "The little punk deserves to meet the same fate as his girl here."

Mother and daughter both turned to look in Taylor's direction and found her staring back with as much hatred for them as they had for her.

"So how does it feel McKessie to finally have all your designs on my boyfriend about to come to an end?" Marissa taunted, momentarily forgetting about Chad who continued to lay quietly on the floor listening and waiting for his time to act. "I bet you really thought you would end up getting, having, and keeping everything that was mine didn't you? And people call you smart. What a laugh."

Taylor rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Everything that was yours? Funny Marissa, but Chad wasn't thinking that way when he asked me to marry him the night before last. In fact, your name wasn't mentioned once when it came to him talking about whom he loved and wanted to share his life with. So if you want to live in loon land and believe that getting rid of me is going to be the answer to your prayers think again."

"You're lying!" Marissa snarled. "Chad would never ask someone like you to marry him. Besides you're too young."

"Yes he did and what does age have to do with it?" Taylor gloated, twisting the knife a little bit more. "If you don't believe me just ask Troy, Gabriella, Zeke and Sharpay. They were all there when it happened. And you should see the gorgeous heirloom engagement ring Chad's grandmother sent to him to specifically give to the love of his life…me."

Marissa became so incensed by this revelation that she marched over to where Taylor sat and slapped her across the face, hoping to wipe that look of smugness from her expression, which to her dissatisfaction she did not.

"You bitch! I so can't wait for you to die!"


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Dressing in a heated frenzy, her mind and body fueled by worry and adrenaline, Gabriella wondered what her next move would be in an attempt to save the lives of her two best friends.

At the moment, the biggest obstacles she faced were in not knowing where to find Chad and Taylor or if they were in danger together.

Realizing that she didn't have the luxury of time on her side, Gabriella made the decision to first check Taylor's room for any clues and then go to the one person she knew would never think her crazy and help no matter what…Troy.

When Chad heard the crack of Marissa's hand against Taylor 's face he just about lost it completely. It was beyond unbearable for him because he knew that she was suffering like this simply for having fallen in love with him.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how devastated his mother was going to be when she found out that the woman she'd viewed like a sister since he was a child was willing to place his life in jeopardy like this while willing to take the of the person he loved most in the world. The mixture of sadness and rage at how he and his family had been so thoroughly deceived by the DeLeon's wounded him to the core.

But he knew for Taylor 's sake he had to hold it together and know that some how they were going to make it through this together. Then, much to Chad 's relief and surprise, his persistent attempts to loosen the ropes around his wrist finally seemed to be getting somewhere, as he found he was able to achieve more and more wiggle room. With one big pull, the ropes came free and he released a deep inward sigh.

Continuing to lie face down and play the role of possum, Chad 's mind worked feverishly to figure out how he was going to get the binding around his feet off without detection. What he needed now more than anything was a diversion to allow all interest in him to be cast aside long enough to reach down and simply undue the damn things, but he had no idea when, where, or how this could possibly occur.

First and foremost, he had to keep Taylor's safety in mind at all times because one wrong move and he could lose her forever to the bunch of psychotics in the other room, and Chad would rather die himself than ever let that happen.

He then heard Marissa addressing Taylor again in that menacing voice that made him want to choke the life out of her.

"You know McKessie...it's going to be a pleasure watching you beg for mercy when all is said and done. I sincerely hope that mother and Julian have something wonderfully agonizing for you to experience in your final moments. Something that will leave you to know that in the end I will have the life with Chad I've planned for and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

After searching Taylor's room, which Gabriella was not the least bit surprised to find empty or devoid of clues, she set off to seek Troy 's help in finding and rescuing their friends.

Descending the stairs quietly down to the living room, past the closed doors behind which both Kelsi and Sharpay lie sleeping soundly in their beds, Gabriella slipped out into the chilliness of night. Running across the way in less than a minute, she was relived to find that the front door to the lodge occupied by the guys was unlocked. Tip-toeing inside, Gabriella headed upstairs to Troy 's room, vowing silently to herself to do whatever she had to do to get him to take what she had to say seriously and help her figure out a way to get to Taylor and Chad before all hell broke loose.

It was the faint scent of the perfume Gabriella had worn for the masquerade ball that slowly awakened Troy and his senses, causing him to open his bright blue eyes with a lazy smile.

"Brie?" he mumbled, taking a moment to realize that seeing her at his beside wasn't a dream.

Gabriella nodded, leaning down to caress his face, speaking to him softly. "I need you to wake up. Taylor and Chad are in trouble."

At the touch of her hand, and before he fully understood what she was saying, Troy reached up and scooped her into his arms, bringing the full weight of her body down on top of his.

"Hey beautiful," he said in a still sleepy voice. "This is a pleasant surprise."

Gabriella smiled, as she tried to push away from him to sit up, realizing that he misunderstood her reasons for being there in the middle of the night, but Troy's grip on her was tight with longing. His lips searched for hers in the semi-darkness and when found, kissed her with drowsy passion.

"Man you taste good," Troy sighed, suddenly turning Gabriella over so that her body was resting beneath his on the bed.

He gazed down at her silently, his heart racing in his chest, thinking that she looked even more beautiful now than she had at the masquerade ball if that was even possible. Overcome with heated emotion, Troy moved closer to kiss her again, but this time Gabriella placed her hands firmly against his chest and shook her head.

"No babe. This isn't what I came here for," she said, wishing in her heart that it could be as simple as that. "I need your help."

Finally hearing what she had to say, close enough to see the obvious fear in her expression, Troy eased back and looked at her with a frown.

"What's wrong Brie? You look frightened about something?" he asked, suddenly realizing that this was anything but play time for them.

"It's Taylor and Chad. Their in trouble," Gabriella stated, leaning up against the head board. "I need your help to find them before it's too late."

Troy looked at her in total confusion. "What are you talking about? Too late for what?"

"Too save them before they get hurt or worse," Gabriella replied. "Something bad is going to happen to them, especially Taylor, if you don't hurry up, get dressed and help me try to find them right now."

Although it had only been a few minutes since Marissa had delivered her slap of outrage across Taylor's face, it seemed as if time was dragging on. Still seething at the revelation that Chad had proposed to her worst enemy, daring to give her hope that she could ever replace her in his heart, Marissa paced the floor like a tiger on the prowl, more anxious than ever to see Taylor suffer before a well deserved death.

"Can we do this already Aunt Margo?" Julian asked irritably, his patience with the entire scene growing thin. "Marissa is here to witness victory, lover boy is out cold in the next room, and Taylor is primed and ready to meet her fate. I say we get to it so we can be out of here before anyone suspects we had a hand in any of what is about to go down."

"I agree mama," Marissa chimed in, glaring at Taylor who stared back at her in that defiant way that only fed her raging thirst for revenge. "It's time we sent this little bitch on her way so that you and Julian can do your disappearing act and I can be in the prime position to give Chad a shoulder to lean on when word gets out that his precious Tay is dead and gone."

"My goodness, you two are in quite the hurry aren't you?" Margot DeLeon mused with that crazy look in her eyes that sent chills down every inch of Taylor's body. "Something like this can't be rushed my dears. Timing is everything."

"Timing for what?" Julian snapped. "All that is left to do is you letting me in on the rest of your plan and us carrying it out and getting the hell away from here."

"I agree," Marissa stated, starting to grow a little nervous that her mother seemed so laid back for someone who was about to commit a murder. "Just tell us what you need us to do and its done, the sooner the better."

Margot turned to her daughter and gave her an off-kilter smile, as she lovingly pushed a lock of hair behind the girl's ear.

"No baby...you can't be involved in this next phase of my plan. Mama won't allow it. I just need you to stay here and keep an eye on Chad and prepare to act as if you know nothing about what has happened when people start asking questions. Understand?"

Marissa nodded with a pout, upset that at her finest hour she was going to be deprived of personally seeing Taylor pay for every unhappy moment she'd had since Chad

walked away from her and the love she felt for him.

"And what exactly is this next phase? Care to share some details here because I'm sure as hell way past wanting to know what they are?" Julian implored, desperate to be realeased from the unknown.

"Yes...please tell us what you have planned for me in your sick mind that has you delusional enough to believe that getting rid of me means Chad will feel any differently about your darling jr. psychopath here?" Taylor spoke up, causing all three to turn in her direction, startled by her show boldness.

Marissa was about to walk over and slap her again just for the sheer pleasure of it and to get that smart mouth of hers under control, when Margot grabbed her by the arm and shook her head against any further confrotation between the two girls.

"Oh I'd be more than happy to share your fate with you Taylor," Mrs. DeLeon said, motioning her daughter with her head to back off and take a seat. "There's a big beautiful lake just outside that front door, one that is filled with the purest of water and host to a variety of plant and wildlife. Unfortunately, by the time the sun comes up over the horizon in the next several hours, there will be a a new addition to the landscape. A body...your body...floating at its center for those who love and care about you to find and mourn over."

Taylor gasped; Marissa smiled.

"Excellent mom! I love the idea of this worthless waste of space being reduced to fish food."

"Wow auntie...I didn't know you had game in you like that!" Julian chuckled impressed. "You really aren't playing are you?"

"No dear I'm not. Our lovely little Taylor here, the belle of the masquerade ball no less, will have her time on earth cut short, making way for the re-birth of my precious baby's life which she so foolishly thought she could take away."

Taylor listened in horror, her mind numb with terror.

"And just how do you propose we get her down to the water without anyone seeing us?" Julian inquired, his adrenaline back on the rise.

That wickedest of smiles played across Margot DeLeon's lips, as beads of sweat began to appear on Taylor's brow.

"Well Julian, why don't you find something to stuff in Miss McKessie's mouth to keep her quiet and I'll tell you all."

Chad laid on the floor in the other room, helpelessly listening to the madness, feeling as if he were dying a thousand deaths.

After listening intently to Gabriella's strange tale of dreams and premonitions, along with her extreme fear that their best friends' lives might be hanging in the balance, Troy immediately leaped off the bed and began putting on his own clothes as well. If what Gabriella had told him was true, which he believed it was no matter how crazy it might sound to others, then there wasn't much time to locate where exactly Chad and Taylor had been taken too and by whom, or to stop them from being in harms way.

Slipping out hand-in-hand five minutes later, with Jason, Ryan and Zeke none the wiser, Troy and Gabriella found themselves standing in the middle of their lodge site not sure what to do next. He began pulling her in the direction of where his parents were staying, but was stopped after only a few steps had been taken.

"No Troy," Gabriella said with a shake of her head. "We can't alert your mom, dad or anyone else about this just yet."

"But why not?" he asked. "My folks are chaperones. They should know if Chad and Taylor, two people placed in their care, are in serious danger or trouble. If something goes wrong we're going to need some type of back up don't you think?"

"Of course I do. But at this point we have nothing for them to go on other than my dream, which they are likely to find silly, crazy or both," Gabriella explained, shivering against the night air."

"Yeah...but...neither Chad or Taylor are in their rooms and no one's seen them since we all went to bed close to two hours ago. Don't you think that's enough information for my parents to listen to reason?"

"No, not when their absence could very easily be chalked up to them being a pair of young lovers who merely decided to slip away for a late evening tryst," Gabriella stated rationally although she was feeling anything but. "We have to have something more tangible than that...something that points to real danger or they won't buy one second of my concern."

"So what do you propose we do then?" Troy questioned in exasperation. "Colton's Bay is a pretty big place and Chad and Taylor could be anywhere right now. Do you honestly believe that with just you and me out looking for them that that's going to be all the help they need or us for that matter?"

"I don't know Troy, I really don't," Gabriella sighed, on the verge of tears. "There's no reason for anyone to believe us without some kind of proof and that's what we have to try and find before we call in..."

Suddenly Gabriella stopped talking, as her attention was taken away by something in the distance. She strained her eyes trying to make out what it was that had caught her eye so unexpectedly.

"What is it Brie?" Troy asked, turning to look in the the same direction. "What do you see?"

Gabriella pointed a finger in the direction of the vacant jr. lodge.

"Isn't that place suppose to be empty?" she asked, starting to slowly walk toward the point of her focus.

"Yeah it is," Troy replied, following her lead. "Remember...Sharpay kept it closed off so we'd have more privacy for our own group for the weekend."

"Well if that's the case, then why is it that I see a faint light coming from behind the closed blinds," Gabriella asked, picking up the pace of her steps, feeling that at last they'd been given their first real clue.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

While Margot and Julian were off in a corner finalizing their plans of how to get Taylor from the lodge to the lake unnoticed, Marissa went to stand in the doorway of the bedroom where Chad still lie "unconscious" on the floor, gazing down at him with obssessive longing.

Seated a few feet away, bound and gagged, a helpless Taylor watched in agonizing silence, as the person she now hated most in the world began to speak endearingly to the one she loved above all others.

"Just a little while longer Chad and everything will be as it used to between us," Marissa said with a heavy sigh. "I know it will take some time for you to remember how much you once loved me, but when you do all will be well again. You'll see. Taylor could never have made you happy and you'll come to realize that in due time. I'll allow you to shed the tears you will think you owe her memory, but in the end, my arms are the ones you will come to when the pain is too great. And when that day comes, she will finally be forgotten, just a face from your past, and it is my love that will sustain you for the rest of our lives."

Upon hearing these words from Marissa's mouth, both Taylor and Chad separately cringed at how dangerously insane she sounded. How was it possible that after all this time neither one had realized the extreme nature of her madness? Shouldn't there have been more recognizable signs long before this night?

Fighting to maintain the charade of still being out cold under Marissa's watchful eye, Chad tuned her out by recalling thoughts of everything about Taylor that was amazing to him: her laugh, her walk, her talk, her smile, vowing to never let anyone take those memories from his heart.

Taylor on the other hand felt sick to her stomach at Marissa's speech, praying that no matter what happened to her that this twisted human being was never allowed near Chad or his life ever again from this day forward.

As if sensing her thoughts, Marissa turned to Taylor with a evil smirk on her face as if proclaiming some sort of sick victory, before slowly moving from the doorway out of view and into the room with Chad.

Troy and Gabriella approached the building where Chad and Taylor were being held against their will with extreme caution. The closer they had gotten, the stronger Gabriella's feelings had become that they were indeed inside and in terrible terrible danger.

Quietly going up the front steps, she and Troy made their way to one of the windows where the blinds were opened just enough to allow them the opportunity to see what was going on inside. The minute Gabriella spied Taylor bound and gagged in a chair, she let out a gasp that caused Troy to instantly place a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. Then they saw Margot DeLeon and Julian step into view and they both realized that this situation was worse than either could have ever imagined.

"That's...that's...that's Marissa's mother," Gabriella whispered in utter shock, pointing a trembling finger in the direction of the well groomed older woman, who was now glaring over her shoulder at Taylor as she continued to converse with her nephew. "I remember her from Thanksgiving."

Troy nodded practically dumbstruck, trying to come to grips with what he was actually seeing. "Yep. That's Mrs. DeLeon alright. And there's that bastard Julian too. We should have guessed that he had something to do with all this."

"I don't see Chad anywhere," Gabriella noted, doing her best to scan the room with the limited visuals they were given. "I know if Taylor is in there then he has to be too."

"You're probably right," Troy conceded, the knot in his stomach growing tighter by the minute. "My guess is that they must have him restrained some how in another room. There is just no way in hell he wouldn't be completely out of control seeing what they are doing to Tay right now if he wasn't."

Just then they both caught sight of Marissa walking out of one of the downstairs bedrooms, a half-crazed smile upon her lips.

"I knew it!" Gabriella hissed furiously. "I knew that some how that witch was involved in this. She's just as insane as the rest of her family."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Troy asked, his mind racing a mile a minute. "And I'll bet anything that the room she just came out of is where they are holding Chad."

Gabriella nodded in agreement. "Me too. God I hope he's still okay."

"Well that remains to be seen. At the moment, it looks like Tay is at the center of attention in this sick little psycho drama, but who can say for sure or how long that will stay the case. Right now what we need to do is go and get some help while we still know that she, and hopefully Chad as well, are still alive."

"You go and I'll stay here," Gabriella offered, as she watched Marissa say something tauntingly to Taylor's face, before turning around and going back into the other room again.

"You? Stay here? Alone? Are you out of your mind Brie?" Troy looked at her disapprovingly. "There is no way I'm leaving you here with that group of lunatics on the loose. You can already see what they are doing to poor Taylor and what they may or may not have already done to Chad. Absoultely out of the question."

Gabriella gave him a pleading look.

"We don't have much of a choice do we? Somebody has got to stay put to keep an eye on the situation. If both of us go and something happens to our friends in that time I'll never forgive myself."

Troy reached out and caressed her cheek gently. "And if I go and leave you here and something happens to you in my absence then I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"Nothing's going to happen to me," Gabriella promised, taking his hand reassuringly. "Besides, it won't take you that long to go and come back with reinforcements...10 minutes tops. It doesn't look like whatever those crazies inside are planning will take place before then."

"You can't be sure of that," Troy stated cautiously, still not convinced that he should leave her alone unprotected. "This is a very volatile situation here Brie. Our two best friends are already caught up in it and I don't want to see the same happen to you."

"It won't. Now please go get your folks and whomever else you need and hurry back."

Troy nodded reluctantly as he gave Gabriella a brief kiss.

"Be safe okay?" he reiterated once again, his eyes heavy with concern.

"I will, just bring back help as fast as you can."

_A few minutes later..._

Jack and Lucy Bolton were both sound asleep when they were startled awake by the sound of furious pounding on the front door down below. Gathering their wits about them, they both got out of bed and were reaching for their robes, wondering who could possibly be causing such a ruckus in the middle of the night, when they heard the frantic voice of their son calling to them.

"Mom! Dad! Wake up! Let me in!"

"That's Troy!" Lucy exclaimed, suddenly moving faster to get down the stairs, her husband right behind her.

When they reached the front door and threw it open, there stood Troy flushed and out of breath, a look of sheer panic in his eyes.

"What's wrong Troy? What's going on?" Coach Bolton asked, pulling his son inside, as his mother began fussing over him.

"Chad...Taylor...their both in serious trouble," Troy said trying to catch his breath. "You have to come quick. People are trying to kill them."

Gabriella remained crouched in front of the window outside the lodge doing her best to stay as quiet as possible, praying that any minute Troy would return with help. Her eyes were trained on Taylor who sat motionless and waiting, feeling ever helpless that she couldn't just rush inside and rescue her best friend out of the clutches of madness. How something like this coud have happened after they'd all just spent the best weekend of their lives together Gabriella would never know.

She thought back to the evening before at the masquerade ball and how happy everyone had been. Then she recalled the joy in both Taylor's and Chad's faces after he'd proposed to her in front of them that first night in the jacuzzi, before remembering what a great time had been had at Sharpay and Ryan's private little beach retreat. So many wonderful memories on the verge of being ruined by this one night when Marissa's sick obsession with Chad had brought her family together to do harm to him and Taylor both. Gabriella closed her eyes and started to pray for a miracle for them all.

An exhaustion that Taylor had never known slowly began to settle over both her body and mind, as she sensed that the time for Margot and Julian to finally carry out their sinister plan against her was rapidly approaching.

Turning her head in the direction of the bedroom where Marissa was with Chad, doing or saying God only knew what to him, Taylor went about the painful process of making her peace with whatever was yet to come.

She let her mind drift over all the memories of her life and family, finding comfort in knowing that she'd truly been blessed beyond measure and couldn't have asked for more when it came to being loved and supported. How lucky she was to have friends like Gabriella, Troy, Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan, Kelsi and Jason, whom she'd shared so many good times and laughter with that the list seemed to go on forever. Then her thoughts turned to Chad, and the ache in Taylor's heart became nearly unbearable. When had he not been an overwhelming presence in her life?

From their days as children on the school playground, Chad Danforth had always held a special place in Taylor's world. And while their early years were frought with antagonism and bickering, as they moved from one grade to the next, there was never a time that Taylor hadn't wanted to be near him in some way. Whenever she saw that irrestible smile or that head of crazy curls, something within her couldn't help but be drawn to him, even if it were only to dish out a well deserved insult because he'd hurt her feelings by trying to look cool in front of his friends by making fun of her intelligence, as if being smart were a crime.

As they grew older, the connection between them had slowly changed and evolved into something more, and it wasn't until this last year that Taylor finally understood what all the time before had been leading up too...them eventually falling in love. Perhaps they always had been, but it wasn't until both had become mature enough to handle what they felt for each other, that the blinders came off and they truly found what they were seeking.

Taylor remembered the days when Chad had been the apple of quite a few girls' eye, and the heartbreak she'd felt when he'd seriously dated Marissa during their second year of high school, leaving her to believe that he'd never see her as more than a braniac he took pleasure in teasing at every turn. But when that had ended and Chad began to see her in a different light after Gabriella had come to East High, fell for Troy, and they became best friends, all the things Taylor thought were out of her reach when it came to him suddenly were sitting in the palm of her hand.

Now she couldn't imagine life without Chad, or truly express all the happiness and joy he'd given in merely loving her for who she was. They had been through so much together and in spite of their ups and downs, in the end he had choosen her to spend the rest of his life with, a dream that Taylor had never dared to entertain although in her heart it was all that she'd ever wanted.

Feeling overwhelmed by the emotion that gripped her, Taylor slowly began to cry, not only for all that had been but for all that might never be if Mrs. DeLeon and Julian succeeded in their revenge against her on Marissa's behalf.

Then, from somewhere outside, came the faintest sound of running footsteps, which seemed to grow closer by the second. Taylor's heart skipped a hopeful beat that maybe all wasn't lost as she had begun to believe, while watching Julian and Margot give one another a look of nervous panic wondering what was going on.

Marissa was on her knees in the bedroom leaning over Chad, tenderly stroking his brow while whispering how much she loved him and that no one would ever come between them again, when she too heard the sound of many feet approaching. Looking toward the doorway for a sign from her mother and cousin as to what was hapening, she allowed herself an unguarded moment of distraction, and that's when Chad made his move.

Rolling over onto his back, he reached out a hand fast as lighting, grabbing Marissa by the throat and pulling her down on top of him.

"Chad!" she croaked stunned to see him wide awake, rage boiling over in his eyes.

"Untie the ropes at my feet you bitch or I'm going to snap your neck in two," Chad commanded through clenched teeth, doing his best not to follow through on his promise, the hate he felt for her beyond reason.

With trembling fingers, Marissa did as she was told and reached down to undo the ropes, Chad's grip on her neck continuing to remain firm. He raised himself up off the floor and brought his face so close to her's that their noses were practically touching.

"Move," he hissed, suddenly hearing for himself the sound of running feet, now accompanied by shouts of "their inside" that held Taylor, Julian and Margot's interest in the next room.

Then chaos erupted as the script was flipped on Margot and Julian when Jack Bolton came crashing through the front door, with Troy, his mother, Gabriella, and Mr. Wilson in tow. Taylor's eyes grew wide with relief at seeing them all standing there coming to the rescue, and she released a huge sigh as she turned her attention to the bedroom, hoping that Chad was still alright.

But before anyone could advance on the culprits who'd put the lives of the people they cared about in jeopardy, Margot DeLeon had one final trick up her sleeve, when she snatched up her purse and skillfully pulled out a .38 caliber handgun to looks of shocked surprise.

"Hold it right there Coach Bolton!" She snarled, aiming the gun in his direction, as he held up an arm to stop those behind him from making any sudden moves. "Nobody come any closer or I will start to shoot!"

"See! See! I told you we were taking too long. You should have listened to me and took care of things when we had the chance!" Julian screamed at his aunt angrily.

"Shut up Julian!" Margot snapped ferociously, never once taking her eyes off of the crowd of people standing in the front doorway staring at her like the madwoman she was. "I want you to go in the other room and get Marissa. Now!"

Julian inched away from his aunt, passing by Taylor who looked at him with undisguised hatred, about to walk into the bedroom to retrieve his lovesick cousin, when he felt a swift kick to his groin which brought him to his knees in pure agony. Suddenly Chad appeared in the doorway glaring with rage at the woman who'd been his mother's life-long best friend, feeling nothing but contempt for what she'd become.

That's when things went from bad to worse.

As if in slow motion, Margot DeLeon turned to see her nephew go down in one fell swoop at the exact same moment she saw Chad hovering over him, and the last bit of sanity she had been clinging to vanished completely.

Turning the gun in Chad's direction, Margot didn't hesitate in making the decision to pull the trigger, no longer caring if he lived or died, not even for the sake of her beloved daughter. But, in her making that fateful decision, she forever sealed the fate of not only herself but that of those she loved, for within that split second Chad pulled Marissa out of the room in front of him and the bullet that was meant to take his life took her's instead.

None of those bearing witness to the tragic scene would ever forget the animalistic cry of rage and grief that ripped from Margot DeLeon's lips like a siren, watching in horror as her youngest child slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Too stunned to believe what had just happened, everyone stood paralyzed to the spot, until Margot began to fire off shots in all directions, sending bodies flying for cover.

Outside on the main pathway, more and more footsteps and shouting voices could be heard on the approach, but by then the bloodshed had already begun.

_The Aftermath..._

By the time Principal Matthews, Ms. Phillips, Mrs. Darbus and a few other chaperones, along with Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan, Jason and Kelsi all arrived on the scene, the first thing they noticed were several people lying on the ground who appeared to be injured.

Jack and Lucy Bolton were scrambling about making sure that neither they or their son had been hit by a stray bullet, but were most alarmed when they saw Troy cradling Gabriella in his arms pressing his palm to her shoulder as she bled profusely from a gunshot wound to the right shoulder. A few feet away, their teacher, Mr. Wilson lay silent and unmoving.

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Darbus exclaimed rushing to the side of her long time colleague, as Principal Matthews and Ms. Phillips raced past them and up the stairs to check inside to see whom else might be hurt.

Seeing Troy and Gabriella, their friends ran to them, although told to stay put and not come any closer by others, begging to know what had happened and what they could do to help.

Troy looked at Zeke, as Sharpay began ripping off a piece of her nightgown to make a tourniquet for Gabriella's wound, while Jason, Ryan and Kelsi stood silently by not knowing what to do other than lend what little support they could just by being present.

"You have to go inside and check on Chad and Taylor," Troy begged fearfully, rocking his girlfriend back and forth in his arms, as the sound of sirens began wailing in the distance. "I don't know if either one made it or not."

Nodding, Zeke dashed away before anyone could stop him, and followed behind Principal Matthews and Ms. Phillips who were now standing in the living room with looks of sheer horror on their faces.

Lying on the floor, not far from one another were Margot and Marissa DeLeon, both dead, as Margot had saved the last bullet for herself. In the corner, groaning and screaming like a lunatic was Julian Blanchard, still unable to move after the devastating blow to his manhood. Then, just a little off to the right, Zeke's eye caught what he came for as he saw Chad bending down over Taylor from behind a turned over chair, stroking her head with tears in his eyes.

"Taylor! Taylor! Baby you have to stay with me," Zeke heard his friend cry in anguish. "I need you. Don't leave me. Are you lisenting? Don't you dare leave me!"

Zeke immediately rushed to Chad's side and stared down at an unmoving Taylor, fear gripping at his heart. Keeping his emotions under control, he reached for Taylor's wrist and searched for a pulse.

"Zeke! Zeke! She can't leave me do you understand? She can't leave me!" Chad wailed desperately, as he waited for confirmation that the girl he loved was still alive.

Zeke patted Chad on the shoulder with a weak smile. "She's still with us man but she's hurt bad. The paramedics should be here any minute just hold on okay?"

"Okay," Chad said, leaning down to kiss Taylor's clammy forehead. "You hear that baby. Helps on the way. You're going to be okay."

A few moments later, the sound of vehicles with sirens could be heard screeching to a stop just outside, their flashing lights clearly visible all over Colton's Bay. There was a symphony of noise raging at a fevered pitch outside the building, as a gurney was rolled through the front door and Zeke motioned them over to where he, Chad and Taylor were. Police officers also appeared along with the medical personnel, going directly over to Principal Matthews and Ms. Phillips for answers as to what had taken place and to identify the dead and wounded.

Paramedics quickly began attending to Taylor, first checking her pulse and then heart beat, before slipping an IV into her arm, placing her on the gurney and wheeling her out, with Chad and Zeke on their heels.

As they lifted Taylor into the ambulance Chad caught sight of Troy standing by the open door of another ambulance across the way, staring at Gabriella who was also strapped to a gurney, looking distraught. The two best friends caught sight of one another and shared a look of total despair. Then the next thing either of them knew, both ambulances had slammed their doors shut and were racing off into the night, leaving them to wonder what to do next.

Coach Bolton approached Chad, directing him to a police car that was waiting to take he, his wife and Troy to the hospital, while instructing Zeke to help get the rest of their friends back to their lodges and to wait for further instructions from Mrs. Darbus and Ms. Phillips. He promised to send word once he knew what was going on with Gabriella and Taylor. Then Coach Bolton took a dazed Chad by the arm and led him away so that they, Troy and his wife could head for the hospital.

Zeke went back to where the others were huddled together out of the way, trying to make sense of something that made no sense, all of them frantic and worried out of their minds about the condition of the two girls.

Sharpay had managed to obtain a cell phone and was speaking with her parents, giving them as much detail as she could about the events of that night, instructing them to get to Colton's Bay as fast as they could. Jason looked completely stunned and devastated, while Kelsi was crying gently into Ryan's shoulder, more than afraid that she might never see two of her closest friends again.

"Come on guys," Zeke sighed in a tired voice. "Coach Bolton said for us to return to our rooms and wait for further instructions from Mrs. Darbus and/or Ms. Phillips and that he'd call as soon as he had something to report."

"That's it?" Sharpay exclaimed, closing the cellphone with reassurance that her parents would be arriving within the hour. "Just go back to our rooms and wait?"

"Yes Sharpay. That's it!" Zeke snapped, not in the mood for her hysterics no matter how justified. "This thing is now in the hands of police, faculty and Colton's Bay staff. Chad, Troy, and Mr. and Mrs. Bolton are on their way to the hospital to check on Brie and Taylor. There's nothing left to do but what was asked of us."

"Maybe we should go and pack up," Jason stated solemnly. "I mean...it sounds like plans have changed and the school will be trying to get everyone back home far sooner than expected."

"That sounds like a good idea," Ryan agreed, hugging Kelsi tightly. "Maybe you girls should think about getting Taylor and Gabriella's things together as well as your own. No doubt when the sun comes up our buses will be parked at the main lodge to do as Jason says and take us all home as quickly as possible."

Zeke stared at Sharpay who was starting to look a little shaky, as if everything that had happened was finally hittiing her all at once. He suddenly felt bad for having snapped at her only moments ago.

"You okay?" he asked, reaching out to take her hand in his.

Sharpay shook her head and then burst into tears, collapsing into her boyfriend's arms in utter dismay.

"No Zeke I'm not okay. Not only is our beautiful outting to remember ruined, tainted by the insanity of a family of psychotics, but now we have three people that we know of dead on the grounds of mine and Ryan's family's resort, topped off with having to wait and wonder if whether or not Gabriella and Taylor are going to survive being shot. What I dreamed of being the best senior weekend in the history of East High, as now turned into it's worst nightmare."


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

It was just after 4:10 a.m., when the ambulances carrying Gabriella and Taylor came speeding into the Emergency Room parking lot of the nearest hospital 10 miles away, the police car carrying Chad, Troy, and his parents right behind them.

As doctors and nurses came pouring out of the ER, having already been alerted by local law enforcement of the current situation at hand, they immediately began to prep both girls for surgery the minute they flew through the doors, with Taylor's survival being their number one priority, as her injuries were life-threatening, unlike Gabriella's, whose were not.

Rushing in behind the gurney's carrying their girlfriends, Chad and Troy watched with heavy hearts as Tay and Brie were whisked away in a flurry of activity to seperate operating rooms down the hall, while Lucy Bolton urged them to take a seat and try to remain calm.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Chad said in a voice frought with anguish. "I mean one minute we're all happy, floating on cloud nine after the masqurade ball that topped off the best weekend of our lives and now this."

"Tell me about it," Troy sighed, sitting down in the seat next to his best friend, as his parents stood at the nurse's station a few feet away, conversing with hospital staff on the girls' conditions. "I mean who could have ever predicted that Marissa...hell, practically her entire family, would flip out so completely and decide to go after you and Taylor with such a vengence? Talk about totally insane."

"That's what devastates me the most," Chad confessed. "That the woman I love is down the hall right now fighting for her life all because one of my psycho ex-girlfriends never got over our break up. This is all my fault Troy and if Taylor doesn't make it I'll have to live with that truth the rest of my life."

"Now you're sounding as insane as the DeLeons," Troy chastised. "There is no way I'm going to sit here and let you talk yourself into believing that you were the one responsible for putting that bullet into Tay."

"Troy's right honey," Mrs. Bolton said, coming over to where they sat, her face etched with exhausted concern. "You did nothing wrong here, not even a little.What happened tonight was a horrible horrible tragedy that no one deserved and unfortunately, in the end, it were those who were truly responsible that paid the ultimate price."

Chad grew solemnly quiet for a moment, as he relieved the flashback of pulling Marissa in front of him just as her mother shot off the gun; the expression she wore on her face as she fell forward when the bullet slammed into her chest then crumpled out of his grasp, already dead the minute she hit the floor.

An indescrible chill shivered down Chad's spine. It had never been his intention, no matter how he felt about Marissa in the end, to see her hurt in all of this either and for a moment he felt guilty about having sacraficed, albeit unintentionlly, her life for his.

As if sensing where his thoughts were, Troy patted Chad on the back in a show of empathy and comfort.

"Don't think you were responsible for what happened to Marissa either," he said, sounding wise beyond his years. "The minute she went along with what her mother and Julian were planning to end Taylor's life, was the moment she sealed her own fate, not you."

"Troy's right," Mrs. Bolton said, putting an arm around Chad and squeezing tight. "No matter how things turned out tonight, you had no choice but to protect yourself. Marissa would still be alive if she hadn't decided to join forces with her family rather than do what was right and try and stop their insane plan."

"I hear what you're both saying...I do..but," Chad said, as another wave of helplessness washed over him. "I just can't forget that someone died tonight because of something I did no matter if it was justified or not."

"Nobody's asking you to forget sweetheart," Lucy Bolton said, her heart breaking for the young man whom she thought of as another son. "But one day I hope that you can put things in perspective and find a way to make peace with it and leave all in the past. Right now the most important thing is for you and Troy to both stay strong for Taylor and Gabriella and pray that they make it through alright. Okay?"

Chad nodded, as a lone tear slid down his cheek.

Coach Bolton walked up to the somber little group, looking as emotionally spent as they.

"Okay, here's what's going on...Mrs. Montez and Mr. and Mrs. McKessie have been contacted about the girls. The hospital administrator has spoken to them and gained verbal consent to perform any and all necessary operations. Their leaving home right now and are being flown up here on Mr. Evan's private helicopter. I also called Lisa and Lee and they will be accompanying them as well. Everyone should be here in less than an hour. Gabriella has apparently lost a great deal of blood but the doctors are hopeful that she'll make a full recovery with some time to rest and heal."

"And what about Taylor coach? What did they say about her outcome?"

Jack Bolton sighed, his heart aching. "Well...it seems that things with Taylor are a bit more complicated Chad. The gunshot wound she sustained has caused some serious internal damage and right now it's all about keeping her alive before any definitive prognosis can be rendered."

"So are you saying she's going to die!" Chad asked frantically, on the verge of shouting, tears hovering just beneath the surface of his eyes.

"No, no...of course not," Coach Bolton reassured, trying his best to not say the wrong thing but to still keep it real. "I'm just letting you know that Taylor's condition is very serious right now and it's going to take everything the doctors have to see that she pulls through. So whatever you do, don't give up on her. Understand?"

Chad nodded, his lower lip trembling as he let the news sink in.

"So how long will the surgeries take?" Troy asked, slightly relieved by what was shared on Gabriella, but feeling unsettled when it came to what was said about Taylor.

His father shook his head tiredly. "No one can say for sure right now. Gabriella's surgery will likely be over before Taylor's. We're just going to have to play things by ear and keep all of our prayers centered on both girls making it through this nightmare okay?"

"Okay," Troy agreed, as he felt Chad beside him slump deeper down into his seat, the weight of the world on his shoulders.

_Back At Colton's Bay..._

After the police had instituted a mandatory lock down of the resort across the board, all students were ordered into confinement until such time the buses scheduled to return them all home were made available within the next 2-3 hours, far sooner than originally planned.

Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi and Jason had come under the watchful eye of both Ms. Phillips and a police officer designated to escort them back to their lodges in order to pack up their things and those of their friends.

This was the directive for all the senior students, who were now abuzz over the horrofic tale of the abduction of Chad and Taylor by their student teacher, Julian, along with his aunt and cousin; the ensuing shoot out that had left Mrs. DeLeon, Marissa and Mr. Wilson dead; and the perilous condition of both Taylor and Gabriella who were now in some local hospital fighting for their lives.

Clearly everyone was shaken by the night's events. Principal Matthews was now the only one solely engaging with the police as they carried on with their extensive crime scene investigation, while it was up to the other chaperones to keep everyone as calm as possible until the buses arrived to take them home.

Mrs. Darbus and a few other teachers were given the emotionally exhausting task of alerting each and every parent of each and every student about the current situation, trying their best to convince them that it was far easier to allow their children to be brought back to them under the school's care within the next several hours, rather than descend on the resort only adding to the present level of chaos.

Once back at their lodge, Kelsi and Sharpay immediately went to pack with barely a word between them, as both their hearts and minds remained focused on Gabriella, Taylor, Troy, and Chad. It was the same across the way for Ryan, Zeke, and Jason.

After 20 minutes or so, both girls emerged from their respective bedrooms and came to sit on the living room couch, neither one looking forward to having to go upstairs to their friends' rooms and collect their belongs.

"So...do you want to tackle Taylor's room or Gabriella's?" Sharpay finally asked, when she knew they couldn't avoid the subject any longer.

Kelsi looked at her with red puffy eyes that had been crying the whole time she'd packed her own things, thinking about what her friends must be going through and saying non-stopy prayers for them to recover.

"You take Brie's room and I'll take Taylor's," Kelsi decided, in a voice heavy with emotion. "It doesn't matter really since being in either one is going to make me sad irregardless."

_Back At The Hospital, A While Later..._

It had been over an hour since the girls had gone into surgery. Troy, and especially Chad, were an emotional mess with still no word from anyone as to how things were going or what they could hope for.

Lucy and Jack Bolton had done their best to try and distract the two young men as much as they could, all the while knowing their efforts were futile. During this time, they remained in constant contact with Mrs. Darbus and Principal Matthews by cellphone, getting updates about the situation back at the resort and the state in which the other students were left.

Chad was growing closer and closer to the breaking point the longer he was left without word on Taylor's condition, when suddenly he and the others were engulfed by the frantic presence of his parents, Mrs. Montez, and Glenda and Robert McKessie, flying through the emergency room doors crazed with emotion.

"Where's my baby? Where's Taylor?" Glenda McKessie cried, looking terrified out of her mind. "Somebody needs to take me to my baby right now!"

"Calm down honey," Robert McKessie said, trying to keep his wife under as much control as he could given the heart wrenching circumstances. "There's Jack and Lucy. Let's talk with them first."

As Taylor's parents rushed to speak with Troy's mother and father, Mrs. Montez went up to the nurse's station and immediately began questioning when her daughter would be out of surgery. Right behind her were Lisa and Lee Danforth who, upon seeing Chad, raced over to where he stood almost zombie-like, and threw their arms around him with a sigh of relief.

"Baby are you okay?" Lisa asked, holding on to her son like she never wanted to let him go ever again, as his father made no attempt to hide his tears of joy.

"Yes mom. I'm fine," Chad said in an eerily soft voice. "Taylor and Gabriella were the ones that were hurt in all of this not me."

"I know sweetheart and I can't even begin to imagine what you and Troy must be going through right now, let alone their parents," Lisa said, glancing over at the McKessie's who were bombarding the Boltons with one question after another.

"Did they tell you everything that happened?" Chad asked, for some reason sensing that his mother still didn't know the whole truth of that night and the people responsible for the horror they'd endured.

"Well I only know what Mr. Evans, Sharpay's father, conveyed to us just before we boarded his helicopter. He said that there had been a hostage type situation at the resort and that people had gotten shot, and you, Troy, his children, Taylor and Gabriella were involved."

"So he didn't tell you who was the one that did the shooting or what happened to them?" Chad prodded, feeling the knot in his stomach grow ever tighter.

"No he didn't," his mother replied, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, as if she knew a major bomb was about to be dropped at her feet.

"It was Mrs. Delon. She and her nephew Julian were the ones who held us captive while they plotted on how to kill Taylor. Marissa came into the picture later and wanted to help them."

"Oh my God no!" Lisa Danforth exclaimed raising a hand to her mouth, looking at her son in disbelief. "That can't be true. Please tell me that's not true?"

"It is true mom. Margot DeLeon snapped like a twig. She wanted to drown Taylor in the lake at the resort so that Marissa and I could get back together. At first I was knocked out cold by Julian but later regained consciousness. Right when I was about to try to stop them from going through with their plan, when Troy, coach and others came to our rescue, Mrs. DeLeon pulled out a gun and started shooting. But before the bullet intended for me could hit its target, I pulled Marissa in the line of fire and she was shot instead."

"Is...is...is she alright?" Lisa asked, dazed at the unthinkable notion that her life-long best friend would do something so evil and to her son no less.

Chad shook his head, his eyes glazing over with even more sadness.

"No mom. Marissa's dead and so is Mrs. DeLeon. She ended up shooting herself when she realized she'd murdered her own child."

Unable to hear another word of something her mind wasn't yet ready to fathom, Lisa Danforth looked between her son and husband, and then fainted to the floor.

"Mom! Mom!" Chad screamed, as one of the nurses who had been talking to Mrs. Montez raced from around the nurses' station to lend a hand.

Everyone stopped and watched as Lee Danforth picked up his wife and deposited her in a chair next to where the McKessies and Boltons had been talking. Someone went to get a glass of water, as the nurse asked for some smelling salts from her colleague. They were all huddled around Lisa, trying to get her to come too, when Troy spied the doctor who had been assigned to operate on Gabriella walking toward them.

"The doctor's coming," he announced, causing all eyes to turn in the approaching physician's direction.

Both Mrs. Montez and Mrs. McKessie instantly grew paralyzed with fright.

"Which one of you is the mother of Gabriella Montez?" the doctor asked, when he was finally standing before the crowd of people, looking to him to ease the burden on their hearts.

"I am," came a tiny voice, bracing for the unknown.

The physician smiled weakly.

"Well Mrs. Montez, good news. Your daughter has made it out of surgery and is doing fine. The nurses are moving her into the Recovery Unit right now but you should be able to see her shortly after she's taken to her room, but only for a moment. Gabriella needs plenty of rest as she lost a lot of blood."

Mrs. Montez collapsed againt Glenda McKessie's shoulder with tears of happiness and relief in her eyes.

"And what about my daughter? Taylor?" Robert McKessie asked, his wife too frighted to do so herself, while Chad stood there with baited breathe, wanting to know the answer more than anything in his entire life.

"Well...as you know...you're daughter's injuries were much more severe so her surgery is going to take a bit more time. However, I did check in on how things were going before I came to give Mrs. Montez the news about Gabriella and it looks like Taylor is doing very well, and if nothing goes wrong, she too will recover."

Cheers, tears and applause erupted as people started hugging and thanking God that their prayers had been answered. Lisa Danforth had finally come too again and, although happy to hear such good news about the girls, she couldn't hide her own devastation at what had been revealed, and found herself crying both tears of joy and misery at the same time.

Troy hugged his parents, gratitude filling his heart, before going over to Chad and grabbing him into his arms as he whispered in his ear, "I told you they would make it."

After another hour and a half of surgery, Taylor was finally wheeled out of surgery, her prognosis for a full recovery as good as that for Gabriella. Everyone was exhausted to be sure, but no one could even think about trying to rest, until both girls had been seen. The heaviness that had weighed so on all of their hearts began to at last lift.

A short time later, Mrs. Montez and Mr. and Mrs. McKessie were given the okay by the doctors to visit briefly with their children. Troy and his parents talked about how good it would be to finally return home, while Chad did his best to comfort his mother who was still reeling from the loss of her best friend and all the lives that had been damaged and/or destroyed by her break from reality. Her heart ached for David and Angelina and she hoped that she'd find a way to forgive Margot enough to be able to comfort those she'd left behind when the time was right. For now all she could do was concentrate on her son and thanking God over and over again for sparing his life.

When Mr. and Mrs. McKessie returned from their time with Taylor, Chad asked if it would be alright if he saw her too, even if only for a minute. Permission was granted, just as Mrs. Montez came back and did the same for Troy to see Gabriella as well.

The two best friends walked down the hallway together, happy and hopeful for the future that had nearly been taken from them both. As they stood outside the door of Gabriella's room, Troy gave Chad a tired smile and a thumbs up before going inside. Because Taylor's injuries had been so serious, she was being kept in the Intensive Care Unit a few doors further down.

When Chad entered the room his heart skipped a beat. Although he was overjoyed to see Taylor again, he couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the sight of her hooked up to various IV's and monitors, looking like she did when they were in jr. high, propped against the pillows. A nurse was writing information on a chart and she stopped for a second to give Chad a smile and nod him in the direction of the one who meant the world to him.

Going over to the bedside, he just stared at her for a few minutes, before leaning down to gently kiss her forehead.

"You made it baby," he whispered lovingly, feeling the tears start to hover just beneath the surface again. "I knew you wouldn't leave me and you didn't. And once you are your old self again, we can start making those plans for our future together. I love you with all my heart Taylor McKessie and I can't wait until the day we graduate and you and I can marry."

At the sound of his voice, Taylor began to stir slightly.

"Baby? Can you hear me?" Chad asked, growing excited at the possibility that she might at least open her eyes to see that he was right there by her side just as he had promised

to be.

Taylor started to toss against the pillows, as if willing herself to awaken from a dream. Then her big brown eyes slowly began to open and she was starig up at Chad, more beautiful to him than she had been at the masquerade ball the night before. He smiled at her with the whole of his heart in his eyes.

"Hey there pretty one," Chad cooed softly, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek. "I was hoping you'd wake up for me."

Taylor continued to stare at him blankly through her drug induced haze, before appearing to try to open her mouth to say something to him. Leaning in closer to the bed, Chad waited to hear whatever it was she had to say.

Struggling for a moment to get her mind clear, taking in the vision of the goregous young man with the head of curls hovering over her, Taylor was finally able to find the strength to utter the one and only question that was on her mind at his presence.

In a soft whisper she looked at Chad innocently and asked, "Who are you?"


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

_Wednesday, December 19th, A Week Before Christmas..._

It had been nearly a month since East High's most successful senior weekend to date in the school's long history had ended in bloodshed and tragedy.

Many a lives forever changed on that fateful last night of what had been dubbed "a weekend to remember" and, even now in its aftermath, the effect of all that took place still haunted those directly involved, some more than others.

For Chad it seemed like his nightmare, born out of that chain of horrific events at the hands of his mother's once upon a time best friend, had yet to come to an end, considering that the girl he was desperately in love with still had no memory of who he was or what they had meant to one another.

Even now, when he thought back to the way Taylor had looked up at him from that hospital bed and curiously asked 'who are you?', it still knocked the breath out of him like a punch dead center to his gut. To say that he'd been heartbroken by this turn of events, like vengeful karma being returned for putting Marissa between himself and that bullet, was an understatement to say the least.

Chad still remembered the numbness inside of him, as he had walked back to the waiting room to find everyone else standing around happily discussing the girls' pulling through, completely unaware that his world was crashing down around him. He stared without truly seeing before quietly sliding into an empty chair without a word, and then seconds later collapsing into uncontrollable sobs that took Troy and Mr. and Mrs. Danforth several minutes to calm him down from long enough to find out what had happened.

Of course, Chad had been assured by those who loved him that it was probably temporary or the drugs doing the talking for Taylor, but a terrible fear had crept into his heart in that moment telling him that this was not the case.

When she'd been transferred back home a few days later and he went to see for the first time since leaving the hospital, Taylor again still looked at him with those innocent doe eyes like she had not a clue of who he was, and he couldn't hide from the blow of defeat he felt down to his soul.

What made the entire situation even more strange was that Chad wasn't the only one Taylor didn't remember. Troy, Sharpay, Ryan, Jason and Kelsi all drew blanks in her memory as well. When they'd all come to visit during the second week of her return, she'd claimed that the faces seemed familiar but beyond that they still remained strangers to her mind.

She did, however, remember Gabriella and her mother, along with her own parents and Troy's too without any problem. Oddly enough, Taylor also remembered Zeke as well. He had spent more time with her during friendly vists while she was home from school which was more than Chad could say, who continued to call to check on her every single day, but hadn't been able to face her in person since the last time she'd given him that look of non-recognition.

The doctors believed that in time Taylor would again regain her full memory of those whom she couldn't recall at present, but for Chad the wait for that day to come was nearly unbearable and there were many instances when he dreamed of taking her into his arms and shaking her into remembering how much she loved him and he loved her.

This was the very thought he was having when Troy came up to find him staring off into space at his locker on the last day of school before the start of Christmas vacation.

"You know...believe it or not...she's probably thinking about you as hard as you're thinking about her too," Troy stated, glad that the day was finally over, ready for them to cut loose from the grind. "It's just gonna take a little more time before all the pieces fit back into place again, that's all."

"Yeah right," Chad said disbelievingly, as he grabbed his backpack and slammed the locker door shut. "How is she supposed to be thinking about me when she doesn't even remember who I am?"

"Just call it a hunch," Troy suggested, patting his best friend on the back, as they started walking down the hallway toward the main entrance. "Brie said that Taylor's been asking her alot of questions about you lately."

"Really?" Chad asked expressionless in a rather dull tone, while inside his heart skipped a hopeful beat. "What sort of questions?"

"Well you should be happy to know that Tay thinks your hot. Super hot actually," Troy teased, remembering the way Gabriella had re-told the story to him over the phone the night before. "Said you were crazy/sexy/cool."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Oh great. Last month I was the man of her dreams. The guy she agreed to marry and spend the rest of her life with. Now I've been reduced to a TLC song. What's next? Hoping she doesn't flip the script and start thinking _No More Scrubs_?"

Troy laughed. "Hey man, don't knock it. Better than getting no play at all right?"

"Play? Are you serious? One minute I'm the love of Taylor's life just as she is mine, but suddenly I've been turned into an adolesecent crush? Give me a break okay."

"Touchy, touchy," Troy said smiling, knowing that in spite of Chad's appearing insulted at the first sign of any real recognition from his girl, deep down inside it made his friend happy to know that she was, as he'd said, thinking about him too.

"You're damn right I'm touchy," Chad snapped, as they walked outside onto the front courtyard in the direction of the student parking lot. "It's killing me not to be able to look into Tay's eyes and truly see myself there any more. To think that I'm just another cute guy to her now without all that we've been through emotionally behind it can't even be considered a consolation prize of any kind."

"Maybe not," Troy admitted honestly. "But it is a start and a hell of a lot more than what you were working with three weeks ago. Besides, I have a feeling that things are starting to look up for you two."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"Well for starters, Taylor asked Gabriella to ask me to bring you over to her house this afternoon once school let out."

"You're lying!" Chad accussed, as he and Troy opened the car doors, threw their belongings into the back, and then climbed into the front seats with Troy behind the wheel.

"Not at all," Troy stated seriously. "It came up in the convesation we had last night about the two of you. Like I said, the girl's thinking about you whether you believe it or not. She told Brie that even though she has no memories of you and she as a couple, that there's something about you that she can't seem to shake...something good and intriguing."

"And that's why she wants you to bring me over today? Because I'm good and intriguing?"Chad asked skeptically.

"Yeah...something like that," Troy replied, starting the car's engine and pulling out of the parking lot a few moments later. "She knows that while she hasn't seen you around in the last couple of weeks that you've been calling to check on her several times a day and she's...well...she's impressed by it. So much so that she was the one who thought it might be a good idea for all of us to hang out together for a little while this afternoon."

"To see if maybe it helps her remember?" Chad wondered, pushing down the hope he he was afraid to let rise as the conversation continued.

"I guess. The point is that after nearly a month you are finally getting a chance to be close to Taylor again and at her own request. That's got to count for something," Troy enthused.

"But...but...what if I say or do the wrong thing and I end up back at square one with her all over again, with even crazy/sexy/cool thrown out the window?"

Troy cracked up as he shot his friend a sideways glance.

"If you just be who you are, the Chad Danforth we all know and Taylor will one day remember for herself, then everything should be fine," Troy advised.

There was a momentary pause, as they turned down the street where Taylor's house was a half a mile away.

"You sounded like there was something else you wanted to tell me as well," Chad stated, changing the subject, as he grew nervous the closer they came to approaching the McKessie home.

"Yeah, I do. Seems like all of us are going to be spending Christmas and New Year's together," Troy announced with a huge smile across his face.

"Oh really? Who told you that?"

"Well it seems that since the Winter Wonderland festival was cancelled, and with good reason, Sharpay talked her parents into inviting all of us and our families out to the Evan's cabin in Lake Tahoe, California, instead."

"Are you serious?" Chad exclaimed in surprise. "Why on earth would Shar do that?"

"I think she's trying to make up for what happened during senior weekend. You know that was her baby...her pride and joy accomplishment...but after everything that occurred she no doubt feels guilty and/or responsible in some way and thought whisking us all off for a winter holiday out of town might make up for some of the rough times we've been going through since being back."

"None of what happened was Sharpay's fault," Chad adamantly stated in a somber voice. "She's got nothing to feel guilty about."

"And neither do you," Troy reminded, as Taylor's house slowly came into sight. "I think she just misses us all hanging out together like we used to. With Brie and Tay having been out of school all this time, it has to have been tough on her, and Kelsi too."

"So whose all supposed to be going on this trip?" Chad asked, his interest starting to peak against his resolve to remain unaffected as a way to protect his heart.

"As far as I know...or rather was told by Gabriella who only just found out yesterday herself: you, me, Brie, Sharpay, Zeke, and all of our parents."

"What about Ryan, Jason and Kelsi? Weren't they invited too?" Chad asked as the car came to a stop at the curb.

"They were but it seems that Marcie's parents invited all of them to their timeshare in Las Vegas, so that's where they plan to go instead."

"And Mr. and Mrs. Evans are okay with Ryan not hanging with the family for the holidays?" Chad inquired, as he turned in his seat to cast a wary glance up at Taylor's house which they were now parked in front of.

"It'll only be for Christmas. Their all going to be coming out to join up with us a few days after to celebrate New Year's Eve," Troy explained.

"Funny how my parents haven't bothered to mention any of this to me," Chad mused.

"Well I'm pretty sure it's been in the works for the last few weeks at least. I think the Evans' waited until everyone's schedule could accommodate the plans, before springing it on Sharpay who sprung it on Brie who told me and now I'm telling you," Troy theorized, pocketing his car keys, ready to go inside and see the girls.

"Does Taylor know about all this? I mean about me coming too?" Chad asked anxiously, as he noted that his friend was ready to exit the car, something he wasn't sure he was able to handle just yet.

Troy picked up on his edginess and smiled.

"Yeah man...she knows. Brie said she sounded pretty excited about the whole idea. That Taylor was looking forward to doing something fun and normal since she's practically been going stir-crazy all this time being at home recovering."

"And Brie's positive she'll be okay with my being there?" Chad reiterated.

"I'm sure if she wasn't, she nor her parents would have agreed to going. Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah...but..."Chad started, still sounding cautiously hesitant that this might be the turn in his luck he'd been praying for.

"No buts," Troy scolded. "This my friend is the perfect opportunity for you to win Taylor's heart all over again and force her to remember how crazy in love with you she really is deep down inside. I know you're scared of being rejected by her again but I'm telling you, this is nothing short of divine intervention and shouldn't be second guessed for one single minute. We'll all be there to lend our support and, actually, I think we are probably going to have a blast. If anyone group deserves some laughs and good times after everything we've just been through it's us."

"You're right," Chad conceded with a sigh.

"You know it," Troy stated with complete confidence. "Now can we stop wasting time out here and go knock on the door so you can see your girl and I can see mine?"

_Three Hours Later..._

It was close to 6:00 p.m., when Chad walked into his bedroom after having been dropped off back home by Troy. Tossing his backpack aside and pulling off his jacket, he sat down on his bed with a sigh, before lying back against the pillows, hands behind his mass of curly hair.

The last time he'd felt this happy was the night of the masquerade ball, when everything in his life was absolutely perfect. Strange how he could feel this good given that in spite of having just spent several hours in Taylor's presence, she still had no real memory of who he was to her or the past they shared.

But even with that still difficult pill to swallow, Chad couldn't deny that they'd all had a good time and that being together hadn't turned out to be as awkward as he had feared. In fact, the four best friends had had fun, laughing and talking, with the girls wanting to know about school and what had been going on in the teenaged world in general.

Of course there had been moments when he sensed that Taylor was feeling "out of place" because some of what she was hearing involved people whose names she knew and faces she'd seen but still had trouble registering a clear picture of in her mind. However, she didn't let that spoil the mood or take away from her own enjoyment of interacting with those her own age and was actually very friendly and outgoing, much to Chad's relief. It definitely went a long way in making him feel comfortable in her presence again and know that she genuinely felt the same in his. If he could choose one word to describe the afternoon as a whole it would be...nice.

He did have to remember not to look at her with too much love and longing in his eyes more than a few times, usually when she wasn't aware or at least acted like she wasn't. Overall, things had gone smoothly and she'd even spoken excitedly about the upcoming trip to Lake Tahoe, which by then Gabriella had finally shared with her as well.

Just thinking about how great it was just to be with Taylor in such a relaxed state under any circumstances, brought a contended smile to Chad's face, signaling to him that some of his heart's burden had finally begun to lift.

Sighing, he continued staring up at the ceiling, vowing to take Troy's advice and run with the opportunity being handed to him.

In four days they all would be packing up and heading off to California and it was there that Chad planned to do whatever it took to get Taylor to at least remember what it felt like to be loved by him, hoping that by doing so, all the memories of their happiness that were locked up somewhere inside her would at long last finally be set free.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Although continuing to suffer through her bout of selective amnesia, which had brought its fair share of frustrations since her return home from the hospital, Taylor still found herself to be in a very positive place at the moment, and knew that a great deal of that could be attributed to the afternoon she'd just spent with Gabriella, Troy, and Chad.

Much too her surprise, she'd had far more fun than expected, and it left her with a feeling of inner peace that she'd struggled to find during the initial days and weeks of her recuperation to no avail...that is until now.

Seeing Chad again definitely had had an affect on Taylor. Watching him interact with Troy and Gabriella, while obviously being sensitive to her own place within the little gathering was something that had not gone unnoticed. Aside from being gorgeous to look at, Taylor found herself more and more fascinated by his personality which was upbeat and funny, yet serious and thoughtful all at the same time.

Admittedly, it was quite the turn on, making her even more desperate in wanting to remember who this guy was and what they had meant to each other before her accident. She knew from the way he looked at her in that soft tender way that his feelings for her ran deep, and it saddened Taylor that her memory refused to piece itself together so she could fully understand why Chad felt about her the way he did.

When Gabriella had told her about the trip to Lake Tahoe orchestrated by one of her supposed close friends, Sharpay, Taylor had found herself very excited by the idea. Getting to spend more quality time with the people whom she believed could help her get her life back together gave her hope that she would one day soon recall all the things about she and Chad that she was longing to not only know but feel again too. Taylor knew deep down inside that Chad was someone special to her and she wanted nothing more than to rediscover that no matter how long it took.

Happy and contented at the afternoon's success, Taylor decided to take a shower before dinner, but was interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone. When she picked up it was Gabriella on the other end, gushing about the very same things that had been replaying themselves in her own mind, since her friend's departure an hour before.

"So admit it, you had a good time didn't you?" Gabriella stated, her voice full of giddiness.

"Yes, I had a good time," Taylor admitted with a smile. "In fact, I think I can safely say I had a great time, even though all we did was hang out and talk."

"Did it make you remember anything from before?" Gabriella wondered, hoping that the answer was yes.

"Actually, to tell you the truth, no," Taylor stated, sounding not the least bit upset by the revelation. "Not one single memory. But I did feel differently so I guess that's a good sign right?"

"Differently how?" her friend pressed for clarification.

"It's hard to explain...I just felt really relaxed and more like the self I probably was before everything that happened."

"Do you mean in general or specifically when it comes to Chad?"

"Both really," Taylor advised, a flash of his smile and that head of beautiful curls popping into her head. "I can't deny that being around him today made me realize that he is definitely someone I want to remember if that makes any sense."

"Perfect sense," Gabriella gushed. "It tells me that while your head has a ways to go to catch up, your heart knows where it belongs and to whom."

Taylor laughed. "Slow down girl. I wouldn't take it that far just yet."

"Why not? I know you were feeling him this afternoon. Don't even try to deny it."

"I'm not denying anything. I already told you this afternoon was great. It's just that...," Taylor hesitated for a moment unsure of the words she wanted to use to try and explain herself.

"Just what? That your scared because it feels like you're flying blind or something?" Gabriella asked.

"Sort of. I mean there's all this history between us that I can't remember so it makes it hard to know if what I felt around him today is an extension of that or the start of something new between us."

"Does it really matter if it gets you two back to the same place you were once before?" Gabriella stated matter of fact.

"Well...actually it does, because it wouldn't be us getting back to what we knew, but creating something totally different and possibly not as strong as it was in the past," Taylor confessed a little fearfully.

"I get what you're saying. I do," Gabriella empathized. "But believe me when I tell you that even if you never regain your memories of what once was and you and Chad are indeed starting all over from the beginning, the feelings between the two of you will still be as strong as they ever were, if not stronger."

"You really think so?" Taylor asked, her tone surprisingly hopeful.

"I know so.This trip of ours is going to be the perfect opportunity for you and Chad to spend some much needed quality time together to reconnect and I can't wait," Gabriella stated happily. "After everything you've both been through it is so well deserved."

"Thanks Brie," Taylor said, grateful that she had not lost her best friend somewhere in translation when she most needed her guidance and understanding to help her find her way.

"No problem. Look, I've gotta go now but I'll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can go shopping or something or just hang out, okay?"

"Okay. And Brie?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy that I still have you, if you know what I mean."

"Always Tay. Always," Gabriella reasurred, hanging up the phone with a smile, thinking that finally things were starting to make sense again.

The next few days flew by in a flurry of excitement as shopping and packing began to get underway. At first Glenda and Robert McKessie had been hesitant about accepting the invitation extended by the Evans' to join them and the others at their vacation home for the holidays, but when both saw how much Taylor seemed to be looking forward to the get-away, they figured it was a positive and might help her fill the gaps that still remained in her memory about the life she'd loved so well before the nightmare she'd exprienced at the hands of the DeLeon family.

Taylor and Gabriella were stuck to one another like glue during this time, even spending an afternoon with Sharpay and Kelsi, who still felt strangely left out, as Taylor's memory had yet to remind her that the other two girls were nearly as close to her as Gabriella was.

Troy, Chad and Zeke were gearing up to do some serious snowboarding, skiing and spending time with their girlfriends, although Chad's situation was different than the last time they'd all been together as couples. Both Troy and Zeke were really hoping that Taylor had a major breakthrough so that sadness that clung to Chad's eyes would finally vanish for good.

_The Morning Of The Trip..._

Chad was in the driveway, loading bags into the back of his parent's car with the help of his little sister, when Kelsi pulled up in her mom's SUV.

"Hey stranger," Chad called, as Kelsi walked up smiling, holding something in her hand he couldn't quite make out.

"Hey yourself," Kelsi said, as his sister skipped off in the direction of the house with a wave, leaving them alone to talk.

"You all set to head out for Vegas?" Chad asked, slinging one of his mother's suitcases into the trunk.

"Yep. Our flight leaves at noon. What about you?"

"10:00 this morning. Mr. Evans is flying us all out in a private jet he charted for the occassion."

Kelsi let out a low whistle. "Nice. I can't wait to join you guys later in the week."

"Me too," Chad said, tossing the last piece of luggage inside the car with a grateful sigh. "So...what brings you here?"

Kelsi was about to answer, when Linda Danforth stepped onto the front porch to check on her son's progress with the bags.

"Chad! Is everything in the car like I asked?"

"Yeah mom. Everything's good to go," he replied, giving Kelsi an amused look. "Tell dad to remember his skis are sitting in the living room and to bring them when he comes out."

"Oh. Okay. Hi Kelsi!" Lisa said with a wave and a smile. "How are you?"

Kelsi waved back. "Hi Mrs. Danforth. I'm good. Getting ready to leave for my trip to Las Vegas."

"That's right...you, Ryan and Jason are all going there first before meeting us next week in Lake Tahoe."

"Yes. Vegas will be fun I'm sure, but I'm really looking forward to spending New Year's with all of you," Kelsi stated.

"We are to dear. I guess we'll see you when we see you then. Be safe and have a good time," Lisa offered, waving once again as she turned to go back inside the house.

"So...what is it you were going to say before my mom interrupted," Chad reminded, now leaning against the car giving his friend his full attention.

"Well I just wanted you have this back in case you were wondering what happened to it," Kelsi stated, passing him the object she'd been holding in her hand.

When Chad saw the black jewlery box he'd given to Taylor that night in the jacuzzi materialize, he instantly knew what was inside. Opening it under Kelsi's watchful eye, he saw the beautiful heirloom engagement ring sitting on it's bed of velvet and suddenly grew sad.

"It's the ring I gave Taylor the night I..."

"The night you proposed to her during senior weekend?" Kelsi finished for him.

Chad gave her a wary look, remembering that Kelsi, Ryan and Jason had not been in on the proposal initially. He wondered who had finally told her.

As if reading his mind, Kelsi gave him a response to his unasked question.

"I figured it out on my own when I found it the night Sharpay and I had to pack up Taylor and Gabriella's things after they'd been taken to the hospital."

"You know...we were going to tell you guys about it," Chad said, feeling a bit uncomfortable, hoping she wasn't insulted by them keeping her, Jason and Ryan out of the loop.

"I know," Kelsi said without annoymosity. "No hard feelings. Trust me."

"Thanks Kels," Chad said with relief, his eyes still fixed on the beautiful symbol of his hoped for future with the girl he loved. "We just thought it best that not too many people know about it right away."

"No need to explain, really," Kelsi assured. "I'm just glad I found it and could give it back."

"Why are you giving it back?" Chad wondered curiously.

"Well...with Taylor not remembering certain things or people right now, I didn't want it to get lost or overlooked by her. I realized that if I sent it back with the rest of her things, she might not know she had it or if she did who it was from or what it was for so I decided it would be in safer hands with you until you were ready to put it back on her finger again some day," Kelsi explained.

Chad glanced at his still hoped for future with a sigh. "That's good looking out Kels. And you are right, Taylor may never have even realized she had it and it is far too valuable to be forgotten...unlike me."

"Don't say that Chad," Kelsi scolded, her eyes full of compassion. "One day Taylor is going to remember how much she loves you and how happy she no doubt was at agreeing to become your wife. You can't give up hope. Not ever."

"I know...but...but it's just so hard sometimes Kels. I love that girl so much and it kills me inside to think that all we've meant to each other is just gone from her mind, possibly never to return."

"But it's still in her heart Chad. I just know it is," Kelsi comforted. "That's why it's important for you to have this ring ready and waiting for her when that day comes."

He smiled at her optimism and then leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks Kelsi. You're a good friend. I really appreciate you doing this for me."

"For you and Taylor," Kelsi corrected, looking at her watch. "And now that I've done the good samaritan thing, I really gotta run so I can go home and finish up my own packing."

"You guys have a good time and make sure you check in on Christmas day," Chad reminded, tucking the ring box into his pants pocket.

"Most definitely," Kelsi assured, giving him a good-bye hug. "Everything's going to be okay my friend, just keep telling yourself that. Oh...and try and have as much fun as you can and helping Taylor to remember what an amazing person you are in the process."

Chad laughed at her suggestion. "I'll do my best, that I can promise you."

"You better," Kelsi playfull warned, moving out of his embrace as she began heading back to her car. "See you next week."

"Yeah...see you next week," Chad said, watching her retreat with a smile.

After Kelsi had driven away, he went back inside the house and up to his room to gather up any last minute things he needed before he and the family headed out to the airport. Chad's eyes caught his favorite picture of he and Taylor sitting on the nightstand by his bed and sighed.

Even if this trip didn't return all of Taylor's memories back to her, the one thing he wanted her to come away with from it all was understanding how much he loved her and would never stop fighting for what they once shared.

_The Flight To Lake Tahoe..._

The private jet that Mr. and Mrs. Evans had charted to use to transport their large group of guests to their Lake Tahoe home was fabulous. The minute everyone stepped on board, the ooohing and aaahing began at all the luxury that surrounded them, only heightening their excitement at the first real attempt to put the awful experience of the month before behind them all and look to a future of hope and new beginnings.

Taylor and Chad's siblings had bonded immediately from the minute they hit the airport, and the three children were ecstatic at having their own little cozy nook to settle into for the flight out to California, equipped with coloring books, games, an onboard X-Box, and all kinds of treats to keep them well occupied.

The parents were relaxed and full of chatter as they took their seats and were immediately handed glasses of champagne by the flight crew to toast take-off with, while Sharpay orchestrated the settling in of her friends in their own part of the plane where they were all given glasses of apple cider to join in to the well wishes for a safe flight and a wonderful vacation.

Chad had been silently hoping that Taylor, of her own decision, would have taken the seat next to his, and was a little disappointed when she chose to sit down next to Zeke instead. He watched them laughing and talking as they both looked out the window pointing at what they saw, feeling a pang of jealousy that Taylor seemed so comfortable in another guy's presence.

"Mind if I sit here?" Sharpay asked, sliding into the seat next to her friend, catching the look on his face as he watched Zeke and Taylor, obviously affected by what he saw.

"Sure Shar," Chad said absently, looking over at Troy and Gabriella teasing one another in their seats.

"You do know you have nothing to worry about?" Sharpay stated, fastening her seat belt. "Zeke's just being a good friend is all."

Chad looked at her surprised. "That obvious huh?"

Sharpay gave him a knowing smile. "Not really. But it can't be easy watching the person you love be chummy with another guy when she can't remember all that you meant to her."

"It's just hard sometimes," Chad confessed, glad for her concern. "But I'm dealing."

"Yes you are and I'm proud of you for that," Sharpay encouraged, just as the pilot came over the loud speaker and announced that they were taking off in five minutes. "You've got almost two weeks too look forward too with Taylor so don't let anything silly get in the way of remembering that okay?"

Chad smiled. "Okay."

Once the plane was in the air and it was safe for everyone to move about the cabin freely, Chad got up and went to sit next to Troy, while Gabriella and Taylor had gone up to the front to talk with their parents.

"So how's it going buddy?" Troy asked, popping a handful of mixed nuts into his mouth.

"It's going pretty good," Chad replied. "I can't wait for us to arrive and hit the snow."

"You know it. You, me, and Zeke are going to do some major damage on those slopes."

"And then some," Chad agreed, reaching for a handful of nuts himself from the bowl on the tray in front of his friend. "I wonder what the Evans' house at Lake Tahoe is like? Probably just as ritzy as everything else they own."

Troy nodded. "No doubt. They do live large you know."

"Definitely larger than the rest of us that's for sure," Chad laughed, feeling more relaxed.

"I see you haven't had a chance yet to spend any time talking to Taylor yet," Troy observed, casting his friend a sideways glance of acknowledment.

"Nope. But I'm hoping once we get to our destination that's all gonna change," Chad admitted honestly. "I just have to be patient is all."

"No worries. I have a feeling that by the end of this trip, Taylor may end up surprising you and the rest of us more than expected. At least she seems to be handling her situation well and making an attempt to familarize herself with people she doesn't actively remember. The girl's pretty courageous if you ask me."

"She is," Chad agreed, hearing the sound of her laughter fill the plane, looking down the aisle to see her standing over the seats occuppied by Mr. and Mrs. Bolton.

"I think that once we arrive at the house and get the lay of the land so to speak, that you, me and Zeke should look for someplace out of the way and sorta romantic to maybe hang out at with the girls," Troy suggested, looking up to wink at a passing Gabriella on her way to the bathroom in the rear of the plane. "I mean I love my folks and all and am glad they are here, but I definitely plan on spending most of my time with you guys."

"Well the finding our own little private place to hang away from the folks sounds good enough, but as far as it being romantic for Taylor and I at this stage of things...let's just say I won't hold my breath," Chad conceded, a little bit dismayed in his heart.

_A Short Time Later..._

There was still another hour or so to go before the plane reached Lake Tahoe and everyone had settled in to an even more relaxed hum of activity.

The children were occupying themselves with their games and X-box; the Boltons, Danforths and Evans' were talking about work and family; Troy, Gabriella, Sharapy and Zeke were playing Gin Rummy to pass the time; while Taylor was up front now chatting with her folks, as Chad had slipped off into a light nap.

When Glenda McKessie suggested that Taylor go spend some time in back with her friends, her daughter took the hint without offense.

Moving down the aisle, she saw and heard the two couples laughing as the latest winning hand of their game went to Sharpay, while glancing over at the empty seat next to a now sleeping Chad.

Staring at him, Taylor smiled at how adorable he looked semi-curled up and sat down next to him, making sure not to disturb. The others welcomed her presence and asked if she wanted to play cards with them, but she declined, more content to sit by the one whom she was fascinated by and inexplicably drawn too even without full memory, and just enjoy the remainder of the flight.

As Chad continued to be oblivious to her presence at his side, something that would have made him very happy to know, Taylor realized that since getting on the plane, neither one had spent any time talking to one another. She wondered if she'd done something to make him feel uncomfortable around her for that to be the case, but then figured Chad was probably just giving her some space to get used to him at her own pace and was waiting on her for the green light.

Smiling at the gorgeous young man beside her, Taylor felt a ripple of excitement run through her at the idea of spending some quality time with Chad, with everyone really, hoping that their return home, she would have more insight about all aspects of her life that were at present lost to her.

She continued to quietly watch the Gin Rummy game with amusement, until she found herself growing a little drowsy and, before she knew it, was fast asleep just like the one next to her.

When the captain came over the loud speaker once again to announce that they were making their descent into the Lake Tahoe area a little after 12:00 noon and to prepare to return to their seats if up and about, Chad awoke with a sleepy little yawn on his lips. He was about to stretch out his arms when he realized that someone's head was laying against his shoulder.

Looking down, he was shocked and more than pleasantly surprised to find Taylor there beside him, her arm linked through his, breathing softly. A huge grin came across Chad's face as he sat there for a moment, just drinking in the sight of her as she used to be with him. He looked over at where his friends sat and saw them all smiling at the two of them, happy to again see a sight they were all familiar with and had missed viewing for quite a while.

As if feeling the warmth of Chad's gaze upon her face, Taylor slowly opened her eyes and turned her head upward toward that cozy, yet still unfamiliar smile that made her weak in the knees even if she didn't quite understand how or why.

"Hi," she smiled sleepily, not bothering to sit upright in her seat, but rather remain with her head still snuggled against Chad's welcoming shoulder.

"Hi yourself," he replied, his heart doing flips in his chest he was so happy to have her near him this way.

"Have we landed yet?" Taylor asked, noticing the grins on the faces of the other four, just as Chad had done upon awakening moments before.

"No not yet. The captain did, however, just annouce that we're close to landing so I'd say in another 15 minutes or so we should be down," Chad explained happily.

"Oh. That's nice," Taylor responded, still having yet to take her head away from Chad's cozy shoulder.

He just gave an inward sigh, continued to smile downward, and took her intimate behavior as a good sign that this vacation could turn out to be on the verge of giving him back what he wanted most in world...first Taylor's memory and then her heart.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

After the plane had landed safely on the tarmac of the private airstrip and everyone debarked, it was only a few minutes before families, friends and luggage were all being loaded into a caravan of custom built black Escalades waiting to take them on the 20 minute drive to the Evans' Lake Tahoe home.

Faces were practically pressed against each window in every vehicle during the ride over, as everyone took in the snow covered scenery that very much resembled a winter wonderland.

Sitting next to Chad, not the least bit embarassed by having been caught asleep on his shoulder just a short time ago, Taylor took in the beautiful sights that flew by, trying to remember when was the last time she'd been to the snow. She had vague memories of it when she was a child but nothing recent seemed to come to mind.

"Gosh, everything's so pretty," Taylor sighed, more to herself than anyone else, although Chad heard her clearly.

He turned in his seat to stare at the wide-eyed almost kid-like expression on her face and smiled, his response having nothing to do with what she was seeing outside.

"I agree, it is very very pretty."

Something in his tone, made Taylor realize he was responding to her comment and when she looked up at him, was greeted by a dazzling smiling that brought a blush to her cheeks.

"I was talking about the scenery Chad," she said innocently, feeling a surge of familiar warmth tingle through her body under his gaze.

"So was I," he said, his eyes still trained on her intently.

Taylor laughed. "I meant outside."

"Oh. Yeah...that scenery too," Chad teased mischevously.

Seated across from the two of them, Troy and Gabriella watched the flirting going on between their best friends, then looked at each other with knowing smiles.

"Have you been to the snow alot?" Taylor asked, trying to stay calm under those beautiful brown eyes that had her locked in their grip.

"Not much since I've gotten older," Chad admitted, pleased to see that his looking at her was having an affect on her composure that she couldn't hide. "But when I was a kid yes. I don't know if you can recall or not, but you, me and Troy went on quite a few school trips to the snow when we were in grade school."

"Really?" Taylor said, both surprised and intrigued.

"Yeah we did," Troy chimed in, his arm around Gabriella who was snuggled up close. "We'd have this annual ski trip we'd go on...us and another class. It was pretty cool. Definitely one of the highlights of the year that everyone looked forward to going on."

"So...so...you, Chad, and I have known each other for a long time then?" Taylor asked, gaining more insight into just how far back of a history she had with them both.

"Yep, we do," Troy replied. "Same with Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and Jason. All of us were classmates pretty much the entire time we were in elementary and jr. high school."

"I guess that means we were friends then just like...well...just like how close everyone seems to be now?" Taylor stated, while in her mind she tried to conjure up even the smallest of memories to make something tangile click in her head.

"Well...not exactly Tay," Troy confessed, glancing over at Chad who rolled his eyes, knowing that was an understatement. "Ooops...I'm sorry...you don't mind me calling you Tay do you?"

Taylor shook her head. "Was that what you used to call me before I couldn't remember you?"

Troy laughed. "Yeah it was. It's what we all called you. Only...now..."

"Now Gabriella is probably the lone person aside from my parents who refer to me by that nickname right?"

"Right," Troy admitted. "I just didn't want to sound like I was coming off too familiar...you know...until you remember...I mean...get to know me a little better."

"It's okay, I don't mind being called that. I'd say something was really wrong and far worse than having partial amensia if I let a little thing like that rattle me don't you think?" Taylor confided with a wink, that made Troy, Gabriella and Chad all laugh.

"Right again," was Troy's response.

"So finish telling me about us why we weren't exactly friends back in the day, even though we've practically known one another forever," Taylor curiously pressed.

"Actually, it wasn't so much about us not being friends, but more along the lines of us being young, immature and sort of...well...jerks," Chad explained, getting Troy off the hot seat.

"Oh really? And what did you do to me back then that would have made you such a jerk?" Taylor questioned, truly interested in hearing his answer.

Chad glanced over at his best friend for help, but Troy wasn't opening his mouth to say squat.

"We...I...used to tease you quite a bit about being so smart. You know...call you things like big brain and book sniffer."

Taylor looked at Chad like he was nuts. "Book sniffer? Why in the world would you call me something like that?"

"Because you always had your head in some book. Recess, lunchtime, after school, you name it," Chad advised, suddenly feeling foolish for even telling her all this. "Book sniffer was just a way for me to...well...to get under your skin...to bait you."

"And why were you trying to bait me?"

"Probably because boys at that age can't piece together a coherent thought and the only way they could show a girl they liked her was to throw insults at her long and often," Gabriella spoke up with a giggle that had Chad giving her a "Sharpay" look and a knudge in her side from Troy.

"Is that the reason you called me names back then Chad? Because you liked me?" Taylor wondered, finding the whole tale rather amusing, even though she was doing her best to keep a straight face just to see the guys squirm a little for their past sins against her.

"I...I...guess so," Chad stuttered, now the one to feel the blush rise to his cheeks. "But I mostly did it because you always made fun of my grades and called me dumb."

"I did that?" Taylor asked innocently with a chuckle, glancing over at Gabriella who was biting her lower lip trying not to laugh.

"Yeah you did," Troy piped in. "And it was hilarious. I remember how Chad would ditch me after school on those days, just so he could go home and get some extra studying done because you had clowned him so bad."

"I did not!" Chad said irritably.

"Did too," Troy teased back.

"Well did all the extra studying do any good?" Taylor wanted to know, interrupting their moment down boyhood memory lane. "You know...with your grades and all?"

"Nope," Troy answered for his friend, who looked like he wanted to punch him. "He'd do all that studying...have everything memorized to a tee...but the very next day when he'd see or pass you in the hall and you'd level him with one of your superior looks, he'd just go brain dead and forget it all."

The girls both laughed as Chad looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock and take Troy with him.

"Oh Chad...I'm so sorry," Taylor said with genuine sincerity, although she couldn't stop giggling about it. "I guess if insulting me was your way of showing you cared, my calling you dumb must have been my way of showing you I felt the same way too."

"Pretty much," Troy stated with a sly grin, knowing he was two seconds away from being strangled on the spot by his best friend for instigating the turn in the conversation.

"So what you're telling me is that we were friends, sort of, but just couldn't stand each other?" Taylor asked, finding the whole situation completely comical.

"Something like that," Chad grumbled, not finding the humor in the discussion at all.

Seeing his gorgeous face wearing a cute little pout, made Taylor restrain herself from teasing him any further, as she reached out a hand and placed it over his gently.

"Oh come on Chad. We're just having a little fun is all, please don't take it personally," she coaxed with a sweet little smile on her lips. "I really really hope that someday I actually am lucky enough to recall such a great memory for myself. Until then...I'm just glad to hear a little something about my past from those who know me best. It can only help in the long run don't you agree?"

Chad looked at that smile he loved so much and the slight frown on his face began to soften.

"You're right. I guess I still have a little of that jerk left in me I need to get rid of," he joked, leaning foward just enough so he could playfully jab Troy in the shoulder for good measure.

"Besides," Taylor continued, "you and I seemed to have grown out of all of that annymosity to become the best of friends to hear everyone else tell the tale right?"

"More than friends," Chad corrected before he could catch himself from blurting out the obvious.

Taylor's smile widened. "Yes, I've heard that too on more than a few occasions."

It took everything in that moment for Chad not to take her into his arms and kiss her shamelessly. He was about to say something naughty in return, when Gabriella glanced out the window and shouted, "Look! We're here!"

Taylor and Chad broke the brief but sizzling eye contact between them and, along with Troy, turned to see what had Brie so excited.

Only minutes before, unnoticed to them all, the vehicles had turned off the main highway and began making their way down a tree-lined path, which opened onto a long circular driveway leading up to the front of a gorgeous three-story home on a hill, overlooking the lake down below. For a moment, Chad, Troy and Gabriella all had a weird feeling of deja vu, as each remembered what had happened the last time they were somewhere overlooking a lake. They glanced in Taylor's direction to see if the surrealness of it all had any affect on her, but when they saw it didn't, they decided to overlook their few seconds of anxiety and let it go.

The Escalades finally came to a stop just outside the front of the house and it took all of five seconds, before everyone was piling out of the suvs, laughing and full of excitement.

"This place is amazing!" Chad heard his mother say, as he saw her and his father climb out of one of the two vehicles just ahead of theirs, followed by Gabriella's mom and her friend Vincent.

"Oh I must agree, this home is absolutely magnificent," Mrs. Montez gushed, as she and Lisa Danforth rushed over to where Glenda McKessie and Lucy Bolton were standing in awe as well.

"Well this is quite the spread you've got here Evans," Taylor's father commented, as he helped his younger daughter down from her seat onto the snow laden ground, her older brother right behind her.

Sharpay and Zeke climbed out of the suv they'd been riding in with Sharpay's parents up in front, waved back to the other four, as Zeke held the door open for Mrs. Evans to get out.

Chad's baby sister, who had fallen asleep on the ride over, was now perched on their father's shoulder, thumb in mouth, as he began walking with the other adults toward the entrance of the house.

"Come on, I can't wait to see the inside," Gabriella said excitedly, taking Troy's gloved hand in hers, pulling him along with her.

Chad had an overwhelming deisre to take Taylor's hand too just as his best friend's girl had done with him, but thought better of it, not wanting to push things too fast too soon even though it was obvious there were definite sparks flying between them.

Taylor gave Chad a cute little smile full of mischief as if to say she knew what he was thinking, then nodded her head in the direction of Zeke, Sharpay, Troy and Gabriella waiting for them a few yards away to catch up and said "Come on."

Chad followed her lead willingly, as the household staff the Evans had hired for the duration, began to come outside and start to unload luggage from each of the vehicles to be taken to their respective guest rooms on the second and third floors of the palatial home.

"Wow Shar, this place rocks," Zeke complimented, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving a squeeze. "It's right up there on the living large list just like Colton's Bay."

At the mention of the place that still held fresh memories of both the best and the worst of their senior weekend that had taken place a little over a month prior, everyone in their group suddenly froze in dead silence. Sharpay gave her boyfriend a look that could kill, while the others hoped and prayed that just the sound of the name Colton's Bay hadn't triggered some awful flashback in Taylor that might ruin things for her even before they got started.

Without thinking, Chad reached out and took her gloved hand in his, eyes full of watchful concern.

"You okay?" he asked hesitantly, as everyone else held their breath waiting for her reply.

Taylor caught the strange looks flying around and it took a moment for her to realize why everyone was acting this way.

"Yes, I'm okay," she said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone believed by all standing there. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well...it's just that...you know..." Chad began but was halted by Taylor holding up her free hand to stop him.

"You're talking about Zeke's mentioning Colton's Bay?"

"Yeah."

Taylor sighed and the proceeded to set the record straight.

"Look everybody...I really appreciate you all worrying that I'm liable to have a psychotic break and start dancing butt naked right here in the snow over anyone mentioning something about Colton's Bay and what happened to me there but trust, its not going to happen. In case you don't remember, no pun intended, I have amensia, partially, and there are a lot of things that I don't remember one of them being that entire weekend of events. However, one day I will remember it and a whole lot of other things both good and bad in my life overall. So just do me a favor and not walk on egg shells until you have to okay? I want us all to just concentrate on having a good time and a great holiday together if that's alright with the rest of you?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Gabriella agreed with a smile of relief.

"Me too!" Troy chimed in.

"Zeke? Chad? Sharpay? You three game?" Taylor asked hopeful that she'd gotten her message across to them all.

Zeke and Sharpay nodded in unison. "We're game."

"Good. And what about you Mr. Danforth? Think you can handle a week and a few days of just living in the here and now and not worrying about stepping on my toes over things I don't remember?"

Chad nodded with a smile."Yeah, I think I can do that."

"Great! Then what are we doing standing out here for? Let's get inside where all the real action is at!" Taylor suggested cheerfully, still holding onto Chad's hand as she led him toward the house, the others not far behind.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

When Chad, Taylor, Troy, Gabriella, Zeke and Sharpay all finally made it inside the house everyone was taken aback at how beautiful everything looked.

Aside from the huge red-bowed wreath that hung at the front door with a bunch of silver bells just beneath it, there were wreaths strategically placed all throughout the foyer into the living room. All the windows were floor to ceiling allowing for gorgeous views from every angle of the lovely snow covered scenery just outside.

In the far corner of the room stood a beautiful 10-foot tall Christmas tree that looked like something out of a department store it was so lavishly decorated with every ornament imaginable. There was a huge stone fireplace cackling with massive logs in its hearth, making the atmosphere warm, cozy, and inviting. There was a table set up right next to the tree that held a large punch bowl full of egg nog laced with nut meg and a large platter of cookies and cakes, by their side an exquisite ginger bread house that looked too good to even think about eating.

The chairs and sofas throughout the room were a rich chocolate leather, which sat upon plush cream colored carpeting that covered every room of the house upstairs and down.

The staff the Evans' had hired were busy taking all the guests luggage upstairs to their rooms, while parents and kids alike were laughing and walking about admiring all the special touches that had gone into making everyone feel relaxed and ready for fun, as a varied selection of Christmas music played softly in the background, completing the feeling of festiveness and good cheer.

"Wow!" Troy exclaimed, standing in the foyer with his arm around Gabriella, their friends just behind them taking in all of the granduer. "This place is sweet!"

"Sharpay, this house is simply magnificent," Taylor gushed, still holding Chad's hand as she looked around in wide-eyed wonder. "I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful."

Sharpay smiled. "Thanks. My folks love Christmas so they always make sure we go all out for the occassion."

"Well they definitely outdid themselves that's for sure," Zeke complimented, eyeing the table of goodies across the room.

"They sure did," Gabriella sighed in amazement, anxious to see what their rooms would be like.

Mrs. Evans was standing in a huddle talking to the mothers of her children's best friends, when she turned to where they were all standing and waved a hand for them to come fully inside and join the party.

"What are you all doing hanging out in the hall? Get in here and have some egg nog and a few cookies to tide you over until lunch is finished being prepared," she coaxed, ever the gracious hostess.

"Sure mom," Sharpay said, grabbing Zeke's arm as they started for the cookies and cakes she knew he was salivating over.

The others were about to follow their lead, when Troy happened to look up and see a cluster of mistletoe hanging just above their heads. He looked at Gabriella with a smile.

"Well I guess there's something to be said for tradition now isn't there?" Troy joked, pulling his girlfriend into his arms and planting a far from timid kiss on her lips before she could offer any protests.

Gabriella was totally taken by surprise by this action and blushed furiously as she gently pushed him away, hoping her mother's attention was elsewhere in that moment.

"Are you trying to get me in trouble?" she asked under her breath, her smile belying any real anger.

Troy shook his head with a laugh. "Of course not. Just being an honored guest taking full advantage of the great hospitality around here. I can't let anyone say that I, Troy Bolton, didn't put well placed mistletoe to good use when I had the chance."

Taylor and Chad both started to laugh as well, while Gabriella continued to peek across the room to see if Mrs. Montez was paying any attention to what was going on. Troy turned to the others, his eyes rolling upward in the direction of his inspiration to plant a juicy one on his girl for all to see.

"So...how about it you two?" He asked, that devilish smile still locked firmly in place. "You're standing right under the old mistletoe too if my eyes don't deceive me which means..."

"Which means that we better go get some egg nog before you get us into trouble," Chad cut him off with a shake of his head and a grin.

Taylor looked at him with surprise, and possibly a bit of disappointment too. Mistletoe was something she clearly remembered and what it was for even without the demonstration beforehand by Troy and Gabriella.

"Are you sure about that buddy?" Troy teased, sensing the willpower he knew it was taking Chad not to kiss the lips he was dying to have pressed against his own.

"Leave them alone," Gabriella turned around to scold, now that she was sure her own indiscretion had gone unnoticed by her mother, who was laughing and talking with Vincent by the fireplace.

"What?" Troy asked innocently with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm just trying to help Taylor and Chad be good houseguests is all. I mean come on...it's obviously no accident that mistletoe was hung up. Someone wants it put to use is all I'm saying."

"Leave it alone Bolton," Chad warned playfully, hoping that all this talk about kissing wasn't making Taylor uncomfortable.

He turned to glance over in her direction and found she was staring at him with those big brown eyes, as if almost daring him to take Troy up on his challenge. Chad however, didn't feel right about taking advantage of a kiss he wanted Taylor to want to give of her own free will, and instead decided it was safer to proceed to the egg nog and goodies. When they walked up to the table, Zeke was popping his second cookie into his mouth with a blissful smile on his face.

"I tell you these Bavarian sugar cookies are to die for," Zeke said with a sigh, already wondering how he would get the recipie from Mrs. Evans' cook. "Light and buttery but not too overwhelming on the taste."

Sharpay just shook her head with a laugh, and then turned to Gabriella and nudged her in the side.

"I see you found one of mom's little mistletoe hiding places," she joked. "She's got them all over the house in the most unlikely places. Kissing and Christmas to her go hand-in-hand."

"I'll drink to that!" Troy said, raising a glass of egg nog in salute.

"So Shar...what's on the agenda for today?" Chad asked, handing Taylor a glass of egg nog, which she accepted rather quietly, still wondering why he hadn't taken Troy up on kissing her.

"Well I feel one of daddy's little holiday speeches coming on in a few, just like when we were on the plane, so first things first. Afterwards, we'll sit down to an extravagant lunch in the dinning room followed by our going to our rooms to unpack and get some rest before this evening."

"And what happens this evening?" Gabriella asked, savoring one of the delectable little frosted cakes with reindeer shaped icing on top.

"Usually, on the first night, daddy likes to take us all on a torch-light snowmobile ride," Sharpay explained, snatching a cookie up to enjoy herself. "Then when we come back, have a light supper and then go hang at the fire pit out back to roast marshmellows and drink some of my great-grandmother's prize winning hot chocolate under the stars in between building snowmen."

"Man! You do all that on your first night?" Troy said letting loose an impressed whistle. "I can only imagine what's in store for us the rest of week."

"Oh it gets wild and crazy around here to say the least," Sharpay advised knowingly. "Like I said...my folks love Christmas and go completely over the top with having fun. Its even more intense when we spend our holidays here instead of at home."

"A snowmobile ride sounds like fun," Taylor said, with a dreamy sort of look on her face and a smile. "I remember this one time when Mary Adams and I beat the pants off of Troy and Chad during a snowmobile race. You should have seen their faces when we crossed the finish line before them. Neither one could believe they'd been beaten by a pair of nerdy girls."

Everyone instantly stopped talking and turned to Taylor in shock.

"What...what did you just say?" Chad asked, his heart starting to pound a mile a minute, as he glanced over at Troy with a nervous smile.

"I said..." then Taylor caught herself, suddenly realizing why everyone was looking at her so strangely. "I said I remember."

"That's awesome!" Gabriella exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear. "Your first official memory from the past."

"I can't believe you remembered that," Troy said with a laugh. "I mean I didn't even recall that incident until you just reminded me of it."

"Maybe it's a sign of more to come," Sharpay suggested, silently hoping and praying that this was the first step to bringing her friend back to her like Gabriella.

Taylor looked at all their faces lit up with hope and promise and felt a slight tinge of sadness. How desperate they were for her to remember all that she'd forgotten. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to have all that she'd lost restored to her just like that and give them the same peace she herself was seeking, yet knew that there was still a long way to go and hated that she might disappoint them in the next second by having no recall of something far more significant.

As if reading her thoughts, Chad reached out and stroked her arm gently.

"It's a start right?" He said, a tiny smile playing at his lips.

Taylor nodded, knowing that he understood what she was feeling in that moment.

"Yes, it is and one I'm grateful for."

"So are we," Gabriella chimed in. "This is a great way to start off our vacation, aside from all of us just being together."

"Here, here," Troy said raising his glass in a mock toast.

Just then Sharpay's mother announced that lunch was ready to be served and that everyone should move into the dining room and take their seats.

Lisa Danforth and Glenda McKessie gathered up their younger children and lead them away to get them situated before the older kids and adults, while everyone else slowly followed behind.

After a lavish lunch in a beautiful open-air room that made it seem as if they were actually sitting outside when in fact they were warm and cozy inside watching a lovely fall of snow blanket the scenery surrounding the house, everyone was shown to their rooms so they could start unpacking and prepare for an afternoon/evening of fun.

Troy had been in the bathroom putting away his toothbrush and things when he came back out into the room he was sharing with Chad and Zeke, and saw his friend standing by the window, staring outside with a far away look on his face.

"You okay?" Troy asked, bouncing down onto his bed for the duration, putting his hands behind his head with a pleased smile.

Chad nodded without turning around. "Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about Taylor and her having that memory about us and Mary Adams."

"That was something wasn't it? I had forgotten about Mary and that trip and the fact that they whooped us good during that race."

"I know," Chad chuckled, watching the snow drift fall against the window pane. "That was definitely a blast from the past to say the least."

"Do you think...well...that this could be the start of Tay really beginning to recover all of her memory?" Troy asked curiously. "I mean she does seem to be acting a lot like her old self again, especially where you're concerned. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that she doesn't remember...know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do," Chad said finally turning around to face his friend. "It's kind of weird because I feel this connection between us right now that makes me think that any moment she'll come back to me the way she was, and yet I'm almost afraid to hope that it's really true."

"I hear you," Troy stated, sitting up. "You don't want to get ahead of yourself too soon only to end up finding out you're right back at square one."

"Exactly," Chad said with a sigh. "The last thing I want to do is put pressure on Taylor by having these expectations that I know she'll sense and feel guilty or uncomfortable in not being able to fulfill right now."

"Well so far things seem to be going good for and between the both of you and I promise to do all I can to help keep that going," Troy offered.

"Thanks," Chad said, grateful for the support. "Right now all I want is for Tay to feel comfortable around me, us, and to just find her way as much as she can."

Sharpay was sitting on one of the beds in the guestroom being shared by Gabriella and Taylor, watching both girls put their belongings away.

"So what do you guys think you want to do this afternoon?" She asked, picking up one of Gabriella's scarves sitting sitting by her side and fingering the material. "Any suggestions?"

"Can we take a walk around the grounds?" Taylor asked, peaking out the window with a dreamy smile on her face. "It's so beautiful out and I would love to see what else this place has to offer."

"Yeah, a walk would be nice," Gabriella agreed, placing a hand to her stomach. "Especially after that awesome lunch that has me about ready for a nap."

Taylor laughed. "Lunch was great wasn't it? Reminds me of the time we all went to dinner at _The Golden Garlic_. That food was excellent."

Sharpay and Gabriella looked at one another in shock, listening as Taylor talked about the entree she'd ordered that night, before realizing that both girls were watching her in stunned silence.

"It...it happened again you guys," Taylor said with surprise. "I had another memory of something I'd completely forgotten."

"That you did," Gabriella confirmed, going to sit next to Sharpay on the bed. "Can you remember anything else aside from what you ate that night?"

Taylor took a moment to think and then nodded.

"While not every single detail is clear to me...but...well...I do recall that the three of us looked gorgeous in our gold, white and blue dresses. We were having some sort of grown up night out with Zeke, Troy and Chad. The restaurant was the newest hot spot in town...I believe."

"It was, it was," Sharpay said, her voice tinged with hopefulness. "We'd been wanting to go there and the boys all got together and made it happen."

"And Chad...he was wearing his hair back in a ponytail wasn't he?" Taylor asked, a flash of his beautiful face free of curls coming to mind.

"Yeah he was," Gabriella offered. "And the guys looked all sorts of handsome and proud to have us on our arm while the Maitre' D flirted shamelessly."

"That they did," Sharpay chimed in, as Taylor came over to where she and Gabriella sat, taking a place on the bed opposite them. "We had a lot of fun that night."

"And...and there was another girl...a beautiful redhead...Angel...Angie..." Taylor struggled slightly for more clarity in what she saw in her head.

"Angelina," Gabriella finished, a nervous tone to her voice. "She was an older girl whom we all used to go to school with."

"Angelina," Taylor repeated the name as if trying to see if it sparked another link in the chain of her thoughts. "Was she a friend of ours too?"

"No, not really," Shapray replied, feeling Gabriella tense up next to her. "It was her sis..."

"No she was just an acquaintance," Gabriella cut her friend off sharply with a look of caution. "Someone who just happened to be at the restaurant the same time we were and came over to say hello."

"Oh," Taylor said, having made no real connection to the person they were speaking about, only the recall of the name to the face.

"Is that all you remember?" Sharpay asked, changing the subject, which was obviously what Gabriella's look to her had been all about.

"Yeah it is," Taylor answered. "I know it's not everything in full from start to finish...but the point is that I do actually have a memory of that time together for all of us even if there are still a few holes left to be filled."

"That's okay, it'll all come back to you when the time is right," Gabriella said, leaning forward to give her friend an encouraging hug. "The point is that you are starting to remember and that's all that matters."

"Brie' right," Sharpay agreed, wanting to hug Taylor as well, but not sure if she should. "As long as you're starting to get your memory back, even if not completely at first, at least you are starting to make some important connections."

"Absolutely," Gabriella said with a smile.

Suddenly, Taylor reached over and took Sharpay's hand in hers.

"You know the best part of having that memory just now?"

Sharpay shook her head, noting that this was first time since the accident that Taylor had made an attempt to be physical with her.

"I finally remembered what it felt like for you and me to be friends just like me and Gabriella."

"Thanks Taylor," Sharpay said in a tight voice, the feeling of tears forming in her eyes. "That means a lot for me to hear you say that."

"I know and I'm sorry if I made you feel shut out of my life before now because I couldn't remember you or our friendship."

"You couldn't help it," Sharpay stated matter of fact.

"Maybe not but it still didn't stop me from hurting you in the process. No matter what happens here on out I want you to know that we are friends even if I never remember another thing from the way it used to be. Okay?"

Sharpay nodded with a happy smile of relief. "Okay."

"Awwww," Gabriella said, putting her arms around both girls to share in a group hug.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Sharpay called, wiping a tear from her eye, as she turned to see Zeke standing in the doorway.

"What's up ladies? You all ready to get the party started?"

Gariella laughed. "Of course. And where are your two other partners in crime? Still unpacking?"

Zeke walked into the room giving Sharpay a wink.

"To tell you the truth I don't know. I've been downstairs with Lois trying to get that Bavarian cookie recipie out of her."

"Whose Lois?" Taylor asked, getting up from the bed to put away the last of her things.

"She's our cook," Sharpay replied, shaking her head at her boyfriend. "The one who hates to be pestered, especially about her recipies."

"It's all good, trust me," Zeke said with a confidant smile as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Ask and ye shall receive."

"You mean she actually gave it to you?" Sharpay said in surprise, although she knew from experience how charming Zeke could be when going after something he wanted.

"Heck yes, she gave it to me, and with the promise of letting me help her make a batch when Ryan, Kelsi and Jason arrive later in the week."

The girls all laughed as Zeke started strutting around like a peacock.

"What's all the commotion in here?" Troy asked, as he and Chad entered the room to find everyone in good spirits. "I thought we were gonna do some hanging out?"

"We are," Gabriella answered, getting up from the bed and going over to give him a kiss. "Us ladies just had to finish up with our unpacking beforehand."

"Well now that it looks like you're done, can we get the show on the road now?" Troy wondered, tweaking her nose affectionately.

"Taylor wants to take a walk around the grounds first. Is that okay with everyone?" Sharpay announced.

"Works for me," Chad replied, glancing over at Taylor who was staring at him with a smile.

"Sounds like a plan," Troy agreed. "We'd better go check in with the folks first just to let them know what we're up to and to make sure they don't have plans of their own for us."

"Oh no worries about that," Sharpay stated, getting up and taking Zeke's hand. "If I know my parents, they'll have all of your parents so thoroughly entertained none of them will have time to worry about what we're doing. Besides, we'll hang out with all of them later when we go snowmobile riding."

"I can't wait for that," Taylor exclaimed, her eyes still fixed on Chad, as she grabbed a pair of fur lined gloves from the dresser.

As everyone began moving out of the room to head downstairs, Chad stopped her at the doorway with a curious look on his face.

"Are you having a good time so far?" He asked, not quite sure why he choose that moment to make the inquiry.

Taylor nodded with a smile. "Yes. I'm having a great time so far. And you?"

Chad smiled back, loving the way her eyes sparkled just as they always did when she was in a particularly good mood.

"Yeah, me too."

"Good. I'm glad," Taylor said, remembering that vision of him in her mind with his hair pulled back from his face.

They stood there for a moment just staring at one another before the sound of Troy's voice from down below broke the spell.

"Hey you two, get a move on!"

Taylor and Chad laughed and proceeded to do as they were told, when she suddenly stopped him this time and, to his surprise, leaned over and placed a tender kiss upon his cheek.

"What was that for?" Chad asked totally taken by surprise, yet loving the feel of her lips against his skin.

Taylor giggled mischeviously and then pointed a finger toward the ceiling where a bunch of mistletoe was hanging just overhead.

"Just keeping up with tradition," she smiled with a wink.

Chad at that moment wanted to give her the kind of kiss she truly deserved but thought better of it. There would be plenty of time for that later. Instead, he took Taylor's hand and with a wink of his own, and led her downstairs to join the others.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

_An Hour Later..._

When Chad, Taylor and the rest of the group returned from their walk in the woods, they found that their parents had spread out to other parts of the house, while the younger siblings were upstairs taking late afternoon naps.

Zeke was helping Sharpay out of her parka when her cellphone rang with Ryan, Kelsi and Jason on the other end. Happy to hear from her brother, she told him all about the trip out and how their parents had once again gone overboard with Christmas cheer, while he in turn told her how nice the weather was in Vegas for December and that they were all having a blast but still couldn't wait to see everyone before the week was up.

After the final hi's and good-bye's from all in both groups were given and the call ended, Gabriella suggested that they watch a movie to kill some time before dinner and the evening's activities, but only Troy took her up on the offer. They were pointed in the direction of an inviting entertainment room complete with wide-screen TV and impressive movie collection, which they dashed off to with a quickness to enjoy a little private alone time.

Sharpay declared that she wanted to chill in her room for a bit and perhaps take a nap like the kids, which gave Zeke all the excuse he needed to slip off to the kitchen and see what his new friend Lois the cook was up too, promising to wake his girl when dinner was ready.

Before they knew it, Chad and Taylor found themselves alone in the living room, both wearing amused smiles at how quickly they'd been abandoned by their friends.

"Was it something we said?" Chad joked, looking around the big beautifully decorated room, which seemed even more massive in size now that it was devoid of anyone but them.

"Maybe it was our deodorant or lack of," Taylor laughed, sniffing under her arm and making a silly face.

Chad shook his head with a smile. "If that's the case then it would have to be all on me because you always smell like a dream come true."

Taylor's heart skipped a beat at the beautiful compliment paid her and felt the familiar heat of a blush tingle upon her cheeks.

"That's so sweet of you to say," she replied, silently wishing that he would get up out of the chair he had taken a seat in and come sit by her on the couch.

Again, as if reading her thoughts and sensing her needs without verbal expression, Chad did just as Taylor had hoped, by suddenly getting up and walking over to slip down next to her with a smile and contented sigh, the undeniable electricity sparking between them filling every corner of the room.

They gazed into the still roaring fire with it's wonderful scent of pine mingled with oak, letting the warmth fill them up and erase the last of the chill from their walk, a comfortable silence lingering between them.

"You know...I had another memory come back to me," Taylor annoucned rather softly, as she studied Chad's profile and the beautiful curve of his jawline, while laying her head back against the couch, her eyes bright and sparkling.

He turned his focus away from the crackling dance of the colorful flames and looked at her in astonishment.

"You did? When?"

"Earlier...when we were upstairs in our room unpacking. Gabriella made a comment about how great lunch was and it just sort of came to me."

"What came to you?" Chad asked anxiously, he too now laying his head back to stare into her eyes.

"Our dinner date at _The Golden Garlic_. I started remembering what I'd eaten there, how all of us were together, what we wore, stuff like that," Taylor explained, finding herself entranced by the length and beauty of his eyelashes, drawn in by the mere sound of his voice.

"Wow!" Chad exclaimed, a brillant smile lighting up his face. "I bet that threw Gabriella and Sharpay for a loop?"

"It did," Taylor nodded, loving the way sitting so close to him was making her feel inside. "But it was all good, especially for Sharpay."

"How so?" Chad wondered, his eyes now tracing the curve of her lips, as he pushed down the natural urge to kiss them.

"Well, ever since the accident there's been this strange distance between us because I couldn't remember anything about our being friends or what it felt like. Once the memory came that all changed and it helped me to reach out to her. And I guess by her reaction it was the same way I used to before."

"I bet that made her happy," Chad stated, knowing that while Sharpay put on a tough cookie act, she was really a softie at heart and had missed Taylor's friendship terribly.

"It did and that made me happy that I could give her that," Taylor said sounding pleased by the experience. "It also made me realize that maybe I'm not such a lost cause after all."

Chad gave her an odd look. "Why would you think you're a lost cause?"

"Because...it's obvious that many people love me and yet I can't seem to give them what they want and, at times, I worry that I may never be able to again."

"Taylor, Taylor, Taylor," Chad said with a sigh. "It's not your fault that you can't remember certain people or things right now. You have amnesia by no fault of your own. Just give it and yourself some time. Trust that those who love you will be here waiting when the day comes that you do finally remember everything you need to."

"Including you Chad?" she asked a bit nervously, not sure she really wanted to hear the answer. "Will you still be waiting for me no matter how long it takes?"

Shocked by her question and moved by the look in her eyes, Chad took a moment to digest what she was asking. Then with a smile he nodded.

"Yes Taylor, I'll be here waiting for you until the end of time if that's how long it takes for you to remember the beautiful wonderful person you are inside and out."

She gasped at his words that left her utterly speechless, as he continued to stare at her so intently that it almsot felt like he was caressing her all over with his hands. A lump caught in Taylor's throat and she could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Oh no...no...don't cry," Chad gently pleaded, sitting up straight with a look of concern on his face. "I didn't mean to upset you by what I said."

Taylor shook her head trying to bring her emotions under control.

"You didn't upset me," she said, sounding calmer than she appeared. "It's just that...that...I wish I understood."

"Understood what?" Chad asked softly, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms that very instant, an impulse that took a great deal for him to restrain.

"How I could possibly forget loving someone as wonderful as you Chad Danforth. It doesn't make any sense that God would do something so cruel to me. To you. To us," Taylor explained, suddenly moving closer and placing her head against his shoulder. "It's just so unfair."

"I know it's unfair," Chad soothed, unable to keep from putting his arm around her and drawing her to him. "But everything's gonna be alright. I promise."

"You can't promise that. Nobody can. What happens if I never get my full memory back? You say you'll wait until the end of time but is that realistic? For you? For me? You love the person I used to be and can no longer remember. I lov..." Taylor caught herself before the word slipped out completely.

There was a moment of silence that seemed to go on forever. Chad took his hand and lifted Taylor's face up from his shoulder until their eyes were locked firmly on one another.

"You love me? Is that what you were going to say?" He asked, his heart racing at nearly hearing her say the words he longed to hear for over a month now.

"No...I mean...I have no right to say that to you Chad," she stammered, wishing that she could get away from his beautiful eyes and the conversation all together.

"But you did say it," he pointed out. "Or you were at least about to."

"It was a mistake. I'm sorry. I'm not making any sense right now, least of all to myself."

"So you're saying that you don't love me?" Chad posed, unable to stop himself from pressing her further for clarity. "It was just a slip of the tongue or something like that?"

Taylor felt trapped, not by the fact that his arms were around her holding on tight, but by the emotions swirling around inside of her own heart.

"What I'm saying is that it's crazy for me to to be telling someone I don't remember that I love them. It isn't fair."

"You're right, it isn't fair," Chad agreed. "But then my life hasn't been fair for a while now, not since the day of your accident. I know I'm still a stranger to you for the most part Tay...but you can't deny that even without your memories of what we meant to each other before, there is something between the people we are now."

Taylor nodded with a deep sigh. "Yes Chad. There is something between us. I felt it the very first time I saw you in the hospital after I awoke from my surgery. But I didn't know what it was then and I didn't know you. And later, after I was recuperating, I still felt it but with no memories to attach it too I just ignored it..or at least I tried. Then when I found out that you'd been calling the house every day to check on me I knew that I had been someone important to you. That's when I found all the pictures and things."

"What pictures and things?" He asked, his hold on her loosening so that she was able to relax into the couch again, although she still remained close by his side.

"The stuff that my parents must have put away before they brought me home from the hospital. All the pictures, souveniers and reminders of our friendship/relationship before I got hurt. I found a whole box of them in our downstairs closet. That's when I had Gabriella tell me everything about us, hoping that her stories would bring my memory back."

"But they didn't?" Chad stated, already knowing the answer.

"No. They didn't," Taylor admitted sadly. "But the fact remained that I still felt connected to you even without recall, which is why I asked her to have Troy bring you to the house last week. Even though I couldn't remember then, just like I still can't now, I realized that I wanted...needed to know you even if I had to start all over from the beginning."

"So what you're telling me is that you know somewhere inside that you do love me, but because you can't remember the why behind it, your telling me so makes it wrong?"

"No, not wrong, unfair. You deserve to have me remember everything about us Chad before I say those words to you. In just spending time with you these last few days I know that I was very lucky to be in your heart before. I'm just not sure if that's the case now. I have feelings for you I can't explain to myself and I need to get that all straight in my own head before I can accept what you are offering me."

Chad nodded at her words, finally understanding what she was trying to say to him. He smiled.

"It's okay Taylor. Really. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable or feel pressured into saying or doing anything you're not ready for. Like I said, I can wait however long it takes for you to remember us if that's what you need. For now, I just want to spend time being with you in whatever capacity you want that to be. And for the record it's not something you are making me do, it's what I want because you're what I want whether you can remember why or not."

Taylor just stared at him in awe, her mind and heart so full of how truly beautiful he was and amazing to no end. This was exactly why he deserved to have her remember him completely before she told him what she already knew was true, whether it made sense or not...that she loved him like crazy.

"Thank you Chad," she finally managed with a heartfelt sigh. "To hear you say what you just did means more to me than you can know. That's why I just want us to keep doing what we have been...you allowing me to get to know you better, praying that in doing so it will give us both what we want in time."

"I have no doubt that it will," Chad said with complete confidence born out of a determination to have her back no matter what it cost or how long it took.

"So...what do you think they're doing in there?" Gabriella asked, as Troy tried again to nibble at her neck, while scenes from the movie _It's A Wonderful Life_ played out on the TV screen.

"If Chad's my boy, the same thing I'm trying to do with you in here," Troy teased, loving the sweet curve of her neck and softness of skin against his lips.

Gabriella giggled as he pulled her closer. "I'm serious silly. I hope everything is going all right between them. They seem to have really connected these last several days and I'm hoping this trip and Chad's love will be all that Taylor needs to finally get her memories back."

"And what if that doesn't happen Brie? Then what?" Troy asked, raising his head up to look her straight in the eye. "Will you and Chad be able to handle things being as they are right now?"

"Don't say that!" Gabriella exclaimed, shocked that he would even think such a thing. "If we don't believe that every experience Taylor has is a chance to remember something good and wonderful in her life then what's the point of calling ourselves her friends?"

"Hold up babe...who said anything about not believing in Taylor or any opportunity out there to bring her back from where she's at now?" Troy corrected, sounding just a tiny bit annoyed that his attempt at a romantic moment had out of no where started to turn in the direction of an impending argument.

"That's what it sounded like to me," Gabriella said with a pout that did not go unnoticed.

"No...that's what you heard. All I asked is what will you do, and Chad too, if Taylor doesn't get her memory back even after being surrounded for a week by the people who love and care about her the most?"

"Do you realize how negative you sound asking such a question?" Gabriella scolded, all interest in the movie suddenly forgotten.

"I'm not being negative, I'm being for real. You want to make it sound like I'm against having Taylor back the way she was before, when all you are really doing is avoiding the question which has more to do with you than her," Troy answered, his tone full of frustration. "The last thing I want is for you or Chad to get your hopes up for something that might not be ready to come is all. Granted, Taylor has acted more like her old self these past few days since her accident, but the bottom line still remains that aside from you, her family, and Zeke, she has no real understanding of the rest of us including the guy we both know she loved more than life itself."

Gabriella sighed, feeling foolish for trying to pick a fight when there wasn't a valid reason to, realizing that Troy's honesty about the situation had scared her into the reaction she'd given him.

"I'm sorry," she said, reaching over and taking his hand, while leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I guess I'm being too emotional over what you said because it's not what I want to hear."

Troy nodded in understanding. "I know. None of us want to believe that we'll never get our Taylor back, but until we do, we also can't allow ourselves to hang onto false hope for something that may never come."

"You're right," Gabriella agreed with a sigh, snuggling into the crook of his arm once again. "And as upsetting as the mere thought of my best friend never regaining all that she's lost, I can't even begin to imagine what such an outcome could mean for Chad. He loves Taylor so much that it would probably kill him to never have her remember all they mean to one another."

"Exactly. But I actually think he's handling this whole thing and her pretty well. I mean...it's obvious that even without her memory in tact Taylor is definitely vibing on the guy. Her head may still be a mess but it seems like her heart knows perfectly well what to do."

Gabriella laughed. "It sure does. Weren't they just the cutest thing all snuggled up together on the plane fast asleep? Or the way he's been taking her hand and she lets him like she knows deep down inside it belongs in his?"

"Or what about that thing with the mistletoe?" Troy pointed out, glad that the storm between them had passed and they were back to where they had been. "You could so tell that Taylor was dying for Chad to take up my challenge to kiss her and looked a little disappointed that he chickened out."

"He didn't chicken out silly. He just didn't want to make her feel awakward is all. Chad wouldn't risk something like an unwanted kiss between them to ruin the closeness they are slowly starting to develop."

Troy shook his head and laughed against the top of her head, now tucked just beneath his chin. "Unwanted kiss? Are you kidding Brie? That girl was holding her breath waiting for my boy to do the deed. I just hope the next time he finds himself in that position he goes for it all the way."

Gabriella slapped his chest playfully. "You're so bad. You know you shouldn't be encouraging that kind of intimacy between them until both are ready."

"But that's what I'm saying babe...they are ready...whether Taylor understands why or not. Have you been paying attention to the way she's been eyeing Chad since we left home? The girl's already got it bad for him just like before. I won't place any odds on some miracluous all consuming breakthrough for her during this vacation, but mark my words, by the time we get back Taylor, old new or whatever, is gonna have Chad on the brain for sure."

Gabriella giggled. "With a little help from well placed mistletoe too right Mr. Man?"

"Absolutely," Troy replied, letting his eyes drift up toward the ceiling where they lingered for a moment, a sneaky smile forming on his lips. "And as always...ask and ye shall receive."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Gabriella asked, seeing the distracted look on his face, her own eyes following his lead, coming to rest on a bunch of mistletoe gathered in shiny red ribbon just above, which caused her to smile.

"Yep...you gotta love the hospitality of the Evans family that's for sure," Troy joked, leaning back onto the couch, pulling his girlfriend on top of him in one effortless move.

Now with Gabriella reclining on his body light as a feather, he gazed up into her eyes with all the love he had for her, amazed by the power it still held over him to this very day.

"What are you thinking?" She asked, smiling down at him in a sweetly seductive way.

"Just how hard it must be for Chad to love Taylor as much as I love you and not have her remember all the great times they've shared with the possibility that she might not ever again. Pesonally, I don't think I could handle it as well as he has," Troy replied seriously, as his gaze continued to caress the contours of her face.

"I know," Gabriella said, inching down closer until their noses were almost touching. "I can't help thinking about their engagement and plans to get married after graduation and that beautiful ring he gave Taylor as a symbol of his love for her, which I still have no idea what happened to since I haven't seen it since that night of the masquerade ball."

"Kesli gave it back to him," Troy answered, his voice low and husky, their close promixity starting to get him hot and bothered.

"She did? When?" Gabriella asked in surprise, the warmth of his breath against her neck making her tingle all over.

"Yesterday. Chad told me that she came over to his house right before we were to all meet up at the airport. Said she found it when packing up Taylor's things at the resort and was afraid it would have gotten lost if she sent it back with her other things."

"That Kels is something else," Gabriella said with a smile at her friend's wonderful gesture. "I guess it's safe to say that nothing about the engagement is a secret anymore where she's concerned?"

"Nope. Chad confessed everything."

"Well at least he has it back so now when Taylor...I mean...if Taylor regains her memory he can propose to her all over again."

"And aren't you just the little romantic," Troy teased, wrapping his arms tightly around Gabriella and bringing her only an inch away from his hungry lips.

"You better believe I am. Chad and Taylor belong together and I intend to do whatever I can and whatever it takes to help them get through this so their plans for the future can go forward."

"Well little Miss Matchmaker, why don't you start getting to work on our future plans with the same enthusiam," Troy suggested, his desire for her growing stronger by the minute.

"What did you have in mind sir?" Gabriella laughed, already knowing the only answer he wanted to hear.

Troy's response was swift and undeniable as he leaned up and captured her mouth in a warm succulent kiss that immediately took her breath away. When they came up for air, both their heads were swimming.

"And just what in the heck is going on here?" came a familiar voice from the doorway, too at ease to be the tone of a disapproving parent. "I thought you two were supposed to be watching a movie?"

Troy and Gabriella both peaked up and over the couch to find Chad and Taylor staring at them with amused looks on their faces.

"Doesn't it look like that's what we're doing?" Troy joked, raising both he and Gabriella back into an upright position.

"No," Chad answered knowingly, taking a seat on the smaller leather couch just catty corner to theirs, Taylor close at his side. "It looks to me like some mistletoe messing is what's going on in here."

Taylor and Gabriella both started laughing, as Troy pointed a finger toward the ceiling to confirm his friend's suspicion. Chad nodded with a smile.

"Yep...just like I thought."

"Hey buddy, don't knock it until you try it," Troy suggested with a wink. "I'm just making sure that as a guest I don't let all of Mrs. Evans handiwork go to waste."

"Aren't you just too considerate for words," Chad teased, feeling Taylor snuggle in closer to his side.

"Just blame it on my home training. Jack and Lucy raised me right," Troy gloated, his arm now placed around Gabriella's shoulder lovingly relaxed.

"So what are you guys watching?" Taylor interrupted the banter, her attention distracted by the images on the TV screen.

"_It's A Wonderful Life_," Gabriella replied. "One of my all time favorite holiday movies."

"Oh...mine too," Taylor admitted, lifting her legs up onto the couch and tucking them beneath her.

"Say what?" Chad asked, turning to her with that look of excitement that some long forgotten memory had been triggered.

Taylor shook her head with a smile. "Sorry. It's not something I ever forgot. Been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. Nice try though."

Everyone else laughed at her little attempt at humor.

"Want to rewind it so we can watch it from the beginning?" Gabriella suggested, reaching for the remote on the table in front of the couch. "It's not too far along."

"Sure," Taylor said excitedly. "That is if Troy doesn't mind."

"Nope. Not at all. And you Danforth?"

Chad shook his head. "No objections here. We've still got another few hours before dinner so I say we go for it."

"Works for me," Gabriella said with a smile in Taylor's direction, as she hit the rewind button and then settled even deeper back into Troy's arms.

Chad noticed a beautiful crocheted red and white afghan slung across the back of the couch he and Taylor were sitting on and reached out to gather it up, placing it around her legs to just below her waist.

"So you won't get cold," he said, producing one of his dazzling smiles for her to admire.

"Thanks," Taylor replied, loving his thoughtfulness.

She snuggled up to his shoulder and laid her head against it with a sigh, as she settled in to enjoy the show. Looking down at her so relaxed and content, Chad couldn't help but smile as he, like Troy with Gabriella, placed an arm around her shoulders simply happy to be in this moment with the girl he loved.


	49. Chapter 49

_(Note to Readers: Hey everyone. Just wanted to say thanks for being patient and for continuing to follow the story. I know it took me a few days longer than I had hoped to get this next chapter out to you. Hope you enjoy.)_

Chapter 49

After the movie was finished, Taylor, Gabriella, Chad and Troy all decided to go and check up on their families whom they'd barely spent any time with since getting on the plane.

As they stepped into the hallway, the four friends could hear the sound of voices alive with laugh-filled chatter coming from the livingroom, a steady stream of Christmas music drifting out from every part of the house.

Suddenly appearing out of nowhere, Chad and Taylor's younger sisters scurried by hand-in-hand, happy grins plastered on their sweet little faces, each holding a huge candy cane, both waving at their siblings as they passed them by.

"Looks like somebody is having fun," Gabriella remarked, smiling as the two girls skipped their way toward the location where it seemed all the adults were congreated.

Walking into the living room, the group was suddenly enveloped in an atmosphere that was alive with warmth, love, and seemingly endless good cheer.

Troy spied his parents hovering near the fireplace, looking quite cozy as they laughed and talked with Lisa and Lee Danforth, while a few feet away, looking out at the beauty of the sun setting just over the horizon, stood Glenda and Robert McKessie, enjoying a lively conversation with Carla Montez and her boyfriend Vincent. Mr. and Mrs. Evans were both speaking to members of the staff...he about the preparation of the snow mobiles' readiness for after dinner...her about the final touches to the plates, silveware, glasses, etc.

It was more than obvious that everyone was having the time of their lives, and it made the four friends happy to see all whom they loved together in one place full of so much joy and commaraderie.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans were the epitome of the perfect host and hostess, seeing that any and everything their guests' hearts desired was catered too impeccably.

A few minutes after Troy, Gabriella, Chad and Taylor made themselves comfortable on the sofa, Sharpay sauntered downstairs looking well-rested at the same time that Zeke emerged from the kitchen like a man who'd been to the promised land he was cheesing so hard from the secrets Lois the Great had imparted on his culinary loving heart.

"Did you have a good nap?" Gabriella asked, as Sharpay flopped down into a chair, her hair pulled up in a messy-chic ponytail that made her look younger than she was.

"Yeah I did and I feel totally rejuvinated," her friend replied, as Zeke came over and kissed the top of her head before taking a seat on the floor at her feet, his back pressed against her legs.

"And what about you Emeril? Got all the trade secrets you can handle for the time being?" Chad joked, noting the look of serenity on Zeke's face after spending quality time in the kitchen.

"Absolutely. You guys should know now that I'm going to be helping prepare our big New Year's Eve dinner so get ready to have your taste buds dazzled," Zeke announced proudly, looking up at Sharpay with a wink.

"Well I'll make sure to have the Pepto ready and waiting," Troy joked, Gabriella snuggled close by his side.

"I think it's great how much you love to cook Zeke," Taylor complimented, seated next to Chad, who'd managed to slip her hand into his without her even noticing. "They always say it's the way to a man's heart but I gotta say it's the way to a woman's as well."

"Here! Here!" Gabriella chimed in with a smile, knowing that for her guy boiling water was something of a task.

"Oh please don't encourage him," Sharpay groaned teasingly. "At this rate he'll be under Lois feet for the duration of our stay here and I'll be the one to get flack about it."

"You're just jealous that I can do something that you can't," Zeke joked, playfully pinching his girlfriend's leg. "You wish you could whip up a souffle as good as me or at the very least a sinfully delicious chocolate mousse on a moments notice."

"That's right honey. I'm quacking in my boots that an apron looks better on you and a tiara and a Tony Award on me," Sharpay laughed with the others joining in.

Just then Lois appeared in the dining room doorway to announce that dinner was ready.

_An Hour And A Half Later..._

"Do you think this will keep me warm enough?" Taylor asked, turning to Gabriella for both approval and inspection of her choice of attire which consisted of jeans, boots, a thick wool-knit sweater, and fur-lined hooded parka.

"I don't think it really matters," Gabriella stated with a sly smile, as she tucked her ears underneath a red and white wool cap with gloved hands.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Taylor laughed, reaching for a tube of Chap-Stick on the dresser that she began to apply generously to her lips.

"It means that I doubt you'll be cold once you are snuggled up all close and cozy behind Chad on that snowmobile," her friend giggled, giving her a knowing look. "The way the heat is starting to rise off the two of you I just hope you don't end up melting something."

"Oh stop it!" Taylor said, sounding a little embarassed but still all smiles. "I could say the same about you and Troy. Don't think I don't know what was going down on that couch when Chad and I came in to watch the movie."

"I don't know what you are talking about McKessie," Gabriella said feigning innocence, even as she remembered how good it felt lying on top of Troy before they'd been interrupted.

"You know exactly what I mean Montez. Don't even try to play that sweet little me act because it just won't fly."

"What won't fly?" Sharpay asked, suddenly walking into the room dressed in a blue and white snow suit, her blonde hair beneath a matching white fur hat.

"Gabriella pretending that Troy doesn't bring out the hussy in her," Taylor explained, slipping a pair of gloves over her hands.

"Tell me something I don't already know," Sharpay replied unimpressed with what she'd thought was fresh gossip. "Those two are almost as ridiculous as you and Chad."

"What!" Taylor exclaimed, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please girl," Sharpay stated matter of fact as she went to check herself in the mirror. "You and Chad I'm sure could probably teach Troy and Brie a thing or two the way you both can throw smoldering looks around a room."

"I told you!" Gabriella laughed, clapping her hands together excitedly like a little girl. "Troy and I are no slouches to be sure, but you and Chad definitely have the market cornered when it comes to just plain old fashioned hot for one another."

"We do not," Taylor protested, even though the smile she wore was anything but convincing to her argument.

"Do too! Man...I can still remember the way you looked at one another the night Chad propo..." Gabriella caught herself before the rest of her words slipped out.

Sharpay gave her a look of caution but it was too late...Taylor's curiosity was already peaked.

"The night Chad did what?" she asked.

"Oh it's nothing," Sharpay jumped in, hoping to quickly divert the conservation to another topic. "Just one of those moments you two used to have before...well...you know."

"Yeah...it's not a big deal," Gabriella said, trying to backtrack with her friend's lead.

Taylor looked at both girls in exasperation.

"Come on you guys. Don't leave me in the dark. Finish what you were going to say. It sounded important. Like it was something significant to my past with Chad."

"Are you sure you want to know?" Sharpay asked hesitantly. "I mean...it's not like you would remember it."

"Which is exactly why I'm asking. Maybe it's something that might trigger a memory," Taylor rationalized, feeling that what they were both holding back was something she needed to hear.

"It's nothing really," Gabriella said, wanting to kick herself for not choosing her words more carefully, or better still, not even going there to begin with.

"Well obviously it is something or the two of you wouldn't be trying so hard to keep it from me."

Sharpay sighed. "Okay...we'll tell you. What Gabriella was about to say was that she remembered the way you and Chad looked at one another the night he proposed to you."

"Proposed to me?" Taylor said in a dazed voice, her expression one of confusion. "You mean he asked me to marry him?"

"Yeah Tay, he did," Gabriella confessed, hoping that she hadn't just ruined what had started out as the best time they'd had together since being at Colton's Bay.

"You're joking right?" Taylor asked, still unable to fully believe what she was hearing.

"No sweetie, it isn't a joke. Chad Danforth asked you, Taylor McKessie to marry him," Sharpay admitted somewhat reluctantly. "Brie, Troy, Zeke and I were all there."

"But...but...how...when?" Taylor stammered, going over to sit down on her bed, as her two friends watched her with concern in their eyes.

"It was during senior weekend, about a month and a half ago. We were all sitting in the jacuzzi where all the guys had presented each of us with these gorgeous bracelets as gifts..."

"Wait...Chad asked me to marry him with a bracelet?"

Sharpay couldn't keep from laughing. "No silly. It was after they gave us the bracelets. There was a box still left in your gift bag and inside was this to die for engagement ring. One that he'd gotten from his grandmother. He had you take it out and as you did he made this beautiful speech about how much he loved you and wanted the two of you to spend your life together and then he proposed."

"He did?" Taylor gasped in total shock, as Gabriella came to sit by her, putting a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders.

"Yes honey he did. And it was the most romantic thing any of us had ever seen. Just beautiful beyond words. I think even Troy and Zeke got misty eyed after Chad said all those things in his heart to you."

"And...and...what did I say?"

"Why yes of course," Sharpay replied, coming to sit on her other side. "What else were you going to say considering how crazy in love you are with the guy."

"Did I really?" Taylor's shock seemed to overwhelm her completely, as her friends could see her struggling to find some ounce of a memory to corroborate their words.

"Yes you did. Really," Gabriella soothed, giving her a tiny squeeze. "And you were so happy when you did. The happiest either one of us have ever seen you.

"To be sure," Sharpay agreed with a nod of her head. "You were glowing from the inside out. So was Chad."

"But...but..we're so young. We haven't even graduated yet."

"Didn't matter. You two decided right then and there that you would belong to each other forever the minute he slipped that ring on your finger and you fell into his arms," Gabriella explained, silently praying that the shock of the truth had not done her best friend more harm than good.

"And you say he was happy about it too? As happy as I was?"

"Honey, if Chad had been any happier he probably would've spontaneously combusted," Sharpay affirmed, the flashback to that night now fixed clearly in her mind.

Upon hearing this, a beautiful smile crossed Taylor's face.

"I can't believe it. Chad and I...we...we were planning to get married."

"Yep. Most likely after graduation. But you had decided not to tell your folks or anyone else for a while. Zeke, Troy, Sharpay and I were the only ones who were privy to the secret for the time being," Gabriella explained, relieved that Taylor's shock now seemed to have turned into something else. Happiness perhaps?

"And what about the ring? What happened to it? It wasn't among the belongings that were returned to me?" Taylor asked, her voice carrying a hint of panic.

"To tell you the truth I don't know where it is," Sharpay advised. "I'm guessing that maybe your folks found it and just never bothered to mention such to you."

"Oh no way," Taylor said in disbelief, shaking her head. "They couldn't have found that beautiful ring and not said anything to me about it."

"Maybe they were afraid too. You know...they may have wanted to protect you considering all that you'd been through," Gabriella said.

"But how can that be if they didn't even know I was engaged in the first place?"

"Well it wouldn't have been hard to figure out Tay," Sharpay theorized. "I mean all you had to do was take one look at that gorgeous thing and you couldn't not see what it was intended for and for whom."

The three friends sat there for a moment quietly, as Taylor absorbed this latest and most surprising reveal about her past to date. A few seconds passed, before she turned to both Gabriella and Sharpay with a look in her eyes that startled them both.

"I want my ring back," she announced with fierce determination.

"You what?" her friends asked in one simultaneous voice.

"You heard me. I want my ring back," Taylor repeated, standing up from where she sat nestled in between them.

"But...but...but why?" Gabriella exclaimed, knowing that Taylor had no recall of anything that had taken place during senior weekend, let alone Chad's proposal.

"Because it's mine, because Chad gave it to me with his whole heart, and because I want it," Taylor stated.

"But you don't even know for sure if they have it," Sharpay noted. "I mean...what if they don't and it was lost or something?"

"It wasn't lost," Taylor said confidently. "And if they don't have it then it's up to me to find out where it is and get it back."

"So you're just going to come right out and ask them if they do?" Gabriella wondered in surprise. "If they don't have it or even know what you're talking about won't that create a problem you're not trying to have right now on top of everything else you're dealing with?"

"Brie's right," Sharpay agreed. "I know I gave your parents and an obvious option of who might have it but I don't know that they do for sure and neither do you."

"Well it didn't just vanish. Someone has to know what happened to it right?" Taylor questioned. "If not my folks then who?"

"Maybe Kelsi knows where it is," Sharpay offered, remembering how it was left to the two of them to pack up Gabriella and Taylor's things while they were in the hospital.

"Kelsi? Why would she know?" Gabriella asked.

"Well she and I were the ones who took care of your stuff and gathered it all up to be sent back home to you. She took Taylor's room and I had yours. Maybe Kels found it and gave it back to Chad for safe keeping."

"You could be right Shar," Gabriella agreed, believing that the more logical theory. "Mr. and Mrs. McKessie would probably not allow Chad within 10 feet of Taylor if they knew that right before her accident he'd asked her to marry him. As you can see, they have no problem with that whatsoever because if they did none of them would even be here."

"True," Sharpay nodded. "Which takes me back to my belief that Kelsi is the one who found it and, if she did, then she would have figured things out for herself about who gave it to you and try to return it."

Just then Troy appeared in the doorway, wearing a look of total mischief, Chad and Zeke right behind him.

"And what are your ladies up too?" he asked, winking at Gabriella who seemed rather distracted. "I thought you'd already be downstairs ready to go and hit the slopes on the snowmobiles."

"We are and we were," Sharpay stated, jumping up from the bed. "Are the folks waiting for us?"

"Everybody's waiting for you," Zeke teased, loving the way she looked in her outfit as she walked toward the door, passed Troy, and took his hand in hers.

"Come on gorgeous, you're dates with me," Troy said, signaling Gabriella over with a provactive smile.

From over his shoulder, Chad's eyes were fixed on Taylor who was staring back at him just as intensely. They smiled at one another and waited for Troy and Gabriella to move out of the doorway, before slowly walking up to one another, like two magnets drawn together.

"You ready for some fun?" Chad asked, taking note of how pretty she looked.

"You know it," Taylor replied, her heart racing in her chest, even though she appeared calm and collected on the outside.

_An Hour Later..._

To say that the snowmobile ride was a hit with adults, teens, and kids alike was an understatement. Everyone was having an absolute blast driving around, their way guided by the light from their simulated torches, zigging and zagging across the snowy slopes that were apart of the Evan's property.

Taylor, snuggled up on the seat behind Chad, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, felt herself come alive more than she'd been since leaving the hospital after the accident that had taken her memories but spared her life.

Feeling the warmth of his body mingled against her own, Taylor sighed contentedly against Chad's shoulder as he swiveled the snowmobile from side to side trying to keep pace with Troy and Gabriella who were only a few yards in front of them, with Zeke and Sharpay leading the pack.

"You okay back there?" Chad asked, turning his head slightly as he took one hand off the steering wheel and placed it gently over Taylor's at his waist.

"I'm great," she replied leaning close enough to whisper in his ear.

He caressed her fingers as a smile spread across his face, then put his hand back in place, before accelerating to catch up with their friends just ahead who were screaming and laughing like a bunch of happy kids.

When they'd finally arrived back at the house 15 minutes later, Chad pulled the snowmobile in next to that of the ones that Troy and Gabriella and Zeke and Sharpay had been riding and turned the engine off. They were lined up by those that all of their parents had been on but had since abandoned to take the short walk to the fire pit in back.

"I think they've started the marshmellow roast without us," Sharpay stated, taking Zeke's hand and rushing him around the bend, which led to the area just behind where the dinning room was situated.

"Hey you two wait for us," Gabriella called, as she ran after her friends with Troy in tow, playfuly chasing after her.

Chad and Taylor laughed as they took each other's hand and followed as well.

"What you took you so long?" Mr. McKessie asked, noting the look of happiness on his eldest daughter's face, while he handed his wife a nicely singed marshmellow for her pleasure.

"We were having so much fun we didn't want to stop," Taylor explained, releasing Chad's hand to go and give her father a loving kiss on the cheek.

"It was fun wasn't it?" Lisa Danforth agreed, her arms wrapped around her husband, while their youngest child snuggled at their feet, Taylor's sister at her side. "In fact this has been nothing less than the perfect day and night."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Lucy Bolton chimed in, popping a gooey marshmellow into Jack Bolton's mouth while he licked the remains from her fingers.

Sharpay's father stoked the embers in the fire pit while laughing and talking with Vincent and Carmen, as her mother proceeded to open another bag of marshmellows for the newly arrived to enjoy. She handed each of the teenagers a skewer to roast with, and then turned back to Glenda McKessie to finish the conversation they were having.

"Looks great mom," Sharpay complimented, snagging a marshmellow on her skewer and sitting it in the fire, as Zeke made a place for them next to Chad's parents.

"It sure does," Troy agreed, pulling Gabriella close to him as they dangled their own treats into the crackling flames.

Chad and Taylor followed suit, just as Mrs. Evans opened up boxes of graham crackers and chocolate bars, which she passed out among their guests.

Lois and another staff member suddenly appeared through one of the back doors holding trays of hot chocolate oozing with whipped cream and warm mugs of apple cider garnished with peppermint sticks.

"This is so great," Taylor said, grabbing a cup of hot chocolate as she went to sit by Gabriella who was putting together her S'more like a pro.

"The best. Who knew I would love the snow so much," her friend exclaimed with giddiness, as she fended off Troy's attempts to snatch her creation for his own.

"You better watch it Bolton or your girl's liable to use that skewer for more than marshmellows," Chad warned, laughing at the way his best friend was antagonizing Brie, still failing to relieve her of her perfectly constructed treat. "Women don't play when it comes to chocolate."

"You tell'em baby," Lisa Danforth spoke up, as she stood to help her daughter roast another marshmellow. "Us ladies don't play that."

Everyone laughed.

"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Robert McKessie asked, taking a sip of his steaming cup of cider, leaning back in his seat with a contended sigh.

"Well normally, on Christmas Eve, we go into town and do some last minute shopping in preparation for the big day," Sharpay's mother advised. "Then we go ice skating at the local rink before coming back home to a lesiurely dinner and to put out the remaining presents under the tree and hang up stockings."

"Oh I'd love to do a little shopping," Glenda McKessie said, already thinking of a few stocking stuffers she still had left to get for her family and friends.

"Shopping works for me," Carmen Montez chimed in, hoping to find a nice gift to present to their hosts for all their wonderful hospitality.

"Shopping? Oh good lord," Jack Bolton groaned, as his wife elbowed him gently in the ribs. "We could have stayed home to do that."

"You just button it mister," Troy's mother laughed. "Christmas and shopping go hand in hand."

"Yes they do Mrs. Bolton," Sharpay agreed, as she popped a marshmellow into Zeke's waiting mouth. "And up here, the shopping is to die for."

"Well the only thing that's probably gonna die up here is my wallet," Lee Danforth teased, giving his wife an affectionate wink as their baby girl climbed into his lap, already appearing to grow sleepy.

"Looks like it's somebody's bed time," Glenda noted, seeing the littlest Danforth's eyes grow droopy, and then turning to her own kids to find them in the same condition.

It wasn't long after, that Lisa and Glenda were taking their little ones inside to tuck into bed, while their husbands and the rest of the adults decided to retire to one of the dens for a night cap.

Soon it was just the Wildcat six left to enjoy the dying glow of the fire which they did completely, now that paretal supervision had been distracted by other pursuits. They remained outside laughing and enjoying the solitude of their surroundings, looking forward to the following day and the trip into town.

At around 11:00 p.m., everyone decided that they were finally too tired to have any more fun that night and knew the time had come for them all to go to bed.

Troy and Gabriella were the first to say goodnight with a long lingering kiss at the top of the stairs, that sent them both to their rooms with silly grins on their faces. Since Sharpay's room was on the floor just below, she and Zeke said their goodnights there with the same goofy smile impact that had befallen Troy and Brie.

That left Chad and Taylor, standing alone at her closed bedroom door, behind which Gabriella was removing her clothes to go take a quick shower. They didn't say anything for what seemed like the longest time, only stared into each other's eyes, relieving what a special day they had shared together.

Finally, Taylor took Chad's hands and smiled.

"Thank you so much," she said, her voice soft and tender.

"For what? I didn't do anything," he replied, wishing they could stand like this together in the hallway all night long, just enjoying being with one another.

"For making this trip so special from the start. For being patient and thoughtful, and for making sure that no matter what I had a good time."

"Well you don't have to thank me for that Tay. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you smile and having fun," Chad stated, the heat of her gaze making him tingle all over.

She continued to smile up at him, her heart in her eyes and then, to both their surprise, Taylor moved slowly into Chad's arms and gave him a kiss that was almost on par with the one Troy had planted on Gabriella a short time before. His toes practically curled in his boots he was so affected by the passion he felt in her lips.

When they pulled apart, Taylor was still wearing that smile of hers only it had deepened from finally doing what she'd been dying to do since earlier that day.

"Wow!" Chad said almost breathlessly, his head still spinning. "What was that for?"

Taylor looked upward at the bunch of mistletoe still gathered up above just outside the door. Chad followed her eyes and smiled. Then they both started to laugh.

"Get you some rest and I'll see you in the morning okay?" he said, his arms still wrapped around her waist, eyes drinking in the face that he knew and loved so well.

"You too," Taylor said, her own goofy grin now firmly in place, as she slowly backed away from his embrace and reached for the door handle. "Oh...and Chad?"

"Yeah," he said, stopping himself just as he was about to turn and head down the hall to his own room.

"I want my ring back," Taylor said, before quickly opening the door and slipping inside to leave him standing there with his mouth hanging open.

It took a few seconds for Chad to comprehend her request. Then, just like the rest, a silly grin broke out on his face as he turned toward the direction of the room he shared with Zeke and Troy as if in a daze, while on the inside he was jumping for joy.


	50. Chapter 50

Chaper 50

_Christmas Eve_

When Troy awoke the next morning, he was surprised to find Chad already up and dressed, staring thoughtfully out the window at the fresh snowfall cascading down from a cloudy sky, turning their surroundings into even more of a winter wonderland.

Just by the way Chad was leaning against the wall with arms folded across his chest, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt, the familiar head of massive curls pulled back in a ponytail, his best friend could see that he had something of great importance on his mind.

"Hey buddy. What has you up so early?" Troy asked stifling a yawn, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and threw back the covers. "Did you forget we're supposed to be on vacation?"

At the sound of his friend's voice, Chad slowly turned away from the window with a grin.

"You up already Sleeping Beauty? I thought for sure you'd be out for at least another hour or so."

"Very funny," Troy said, scratching his head, as another yawn escaped him. "I probably still would be knocking back some serious zzz's if it weren't for you over there thinking so loud that you woke me up."

Chad laughed. "Oh, now look whose got jokes? Eyes open all of two seconds and already giving me grief."

Troy shook his head. "No grief here. Just a man trying to figure out why in the hell his boy is up at the crack of dawn is all. Everything alright?"

"Yeah...yeah...everything's fine. I just had some stuff on my mind that kind of made it hard to stay asleep so I decided to get a jumpstart on the day is all," Chad replied, walking over to his unmade bed and plopping down against the pillows.

Troy watched him for a few seconds and then nodded in understanding.

"Spill man. What's Ms. McKessie done now that has your head spinning like a top?"

Chad chuckled. "Who said my being up early has anything to do with Taylor? I told you I just couldn't sleep is all."

"Right. And I'm planning to steal Sharpay away right from under Zeke's nose and make her my baby's mama. Try again," Troy stated flippantly, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, his feet coming to rest on the plush carpet beneath them.

"Oh man! That's a brutal thing to even think let alone say out loud," Chad snickered, as he glanced across the room where Zeke still lay soundly sleeping.

"You're right it is," Troy laughed at himself in disbelief that he'd even dared to allow such words to escape his lips. "Which is why you've got exactly 10 seconds Danforth to tell me the real deal without any more lame excuses."

"I told you already it's nothing."

"Didn't I just say no more lame excuses?" Troy sternly warned. "Now stop beating the hell around the bush and tell me what gives?"

Chad put his hands behind his head with a sigh.

"You know you need to keep your voice down or you might wake up Shar's man and have to confess your secret love for her," he teased.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Dude. Please. A stampede of women at a half off sale couldn't wake Zeke up unless they were wearing cake batter dresses and smelling like vanilla extract."

Chad cracked up. "You know you really need to quit it."

"No...what I need is for you to come clean about what's on your mind and how it involves Taylor."

There was a brief pause between the two friends, before Chad decided to just go ahead and confess his thoughts to the person he'd been closest too since childhood.

"Last night...right before I got back to the room Taylor kissed me."

"Oh did she now?" Troy said, perking right up with a knowing smile. "And how did that work for you?"

"It worked just fine considering she kissed me like she used to before the accident. Laid down one of those sweet sensual kisses that drives me insane," Chad admitted happily, remembering the passion of that longed for moment. "But then she said something that totally threw me for a loop."

"Really? And what was that?" Troy wondered, trying not to let his anxiousness get the better of him.

"Taylor told me that she wanted her ring back," Chad stated, still unable to believe that she'd said what she did.

"What ring?" Troy asked, before the lightbulb came on a moment later. "Wait! You don't mean THE ring? As in engagement?"

"One in the same."

"Get out! Are you serious?"

"Dead serious," Chad explained. "Here I was still reeling from that kiss, watching her back up through the bedroom door, and she throws that jaw dropper down, before scurring away to leave me like a dumbstruck idiot in the hallway."

Troy let out a low whistle. "Talk about dropping it like it's hot. But why in the hell would she ask you for a ring back that she doesn't remember? Unless of course..."

Chad shook his head. "Nope. No total recall if that's what you're thinking."

"Then why ask in the first place?" Troy wondered, now understanding why it was that his friend hadn't been able to sleep last night. "Something's not adding up."

"I get the impression that either Brie, Shar or both must have told her about the ring's existence. Nothing else makes sense," Chad replied matter of fact.

"Yeah...but...even still...it doesn't explain her confronting you about it let alone asking to have it back," Troy pointed out logically.

"I know, that's the part I can't figure out. The only thing I can come up with is that they must have been having one of their gabfests and the truth came out some how."

"So...do you think that she knows the whole story behind it? I mean the proposal itself?" Troy asked, already planning his interrogation of Gabriella for the facts.

"They must have. I mean...how else could they explain an engagement ring without providing the motivation...my motivation behind it?"

"True. So what are you going to do?" Troy pressed. "Are you thinking about returning it to Taylor once we get back home?"

"No need to wait that long," Chad stated with a grin. "Considering that I already have the ring here with me right now."

_A Short Time Later..._

"You did what?!" Gabriella exclaimed, as she quickly pulled a blue wool turtleneck sweater over her head so she could go back to looking at her best friend like she'd just grown a third eye. "Please tell me you are joking."

Taylor shook her head, glanced over at Sharpay who was sitting in the corner armchair busy reading the Christmas edition of _Vogue, _and then calmly replied, "No I'm not joking. Last night I asked Chad for my engagement ring back."

"But why would you do something like that Tay? You don't even remember the proposal behind it being given in the first place, let alone the ring itself," Gabriella rationalized.

"Like I said before...Chad gave it to me with his whole heart, it's rightfully mine and because I want it," was Taylor's unapologetic reply.

"Shar would you talk some sense into her before she opens up a can of worms she's not ready to deal with?" came Gabriella's impassioned plea toward the third party in the room.

Sharpay, hearing the cue to bring her in on the brewing disagreement too early in the morning to even be having, peeked up over the top of her magazine, looked between her two closet friends, made the thumbs up sign in Taylor's direction and calmly said, "You go girl!"

Her reaction and response instantly brought pleasing laughter to Taylor's lips.

"Sharpay!" Gabriella exclaimed throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"What!?"

"You are not helping," her friend scolded, shaking her head in annoyance, as Taylor's smile grew wider by the minute. "Whose side are you on anyway?"

Sharpay lowered her magazine with an impatient sigh.

"For crying out loud Brie, would you please take the motherly act down a notch for a second. I'm on Taylor's side of course. The question is why aren't you? Furthermore, what is it about her asking for something she's entitled to that is causing your Victoria Secrets to get all in a bunch before we've even had breakfast?"

"For your information my VC's aren't in a bunch and secondly, whose trying to be a mother? You know perfectly well I'm always on Taylor's side...yours too even though you probably don't deserve it. But I can't believe you are going to sit there and tell me you think what she did was okay."

"Well believe it," was Sharpay's short and sweet reply.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Taylor, who was staring at her trying to figure out why what she had done was so upsetting.

"You know Brie...maybe if you explain to me the reason you disapprove of what I've done I might be able to see things from you point of view," Taylor suggested, sitting down on the bed ready to hear her friend out.

"Yeah Brie, explain to the girl why you are flipping out over her wanting to be reunited with her diamonds," Sharpay snarked, more than ready for the unnecessary drama to be over with.

"First of all I'm not flipping out," Gabriella snapped, flinging an irritated glance in Sharpay's direction. "What I am is concerned that Taylor hasn't truly thought about the affect her request may have had on Chad. Like she said he gave it to her with his whole heart, something we both can attest to. The question is will her whole heart be behind receiving it again with no memory whatsoever of why it was given to her in the first place?"

"I'm not sure I get what you're saying," Taylor responded still confused.

"Oh no? Well let me spell it out. Are you, at this very moment above a shadow of a doubt in love with Chad or not?" Gabriella asked point blank. "Because if you aren't, then you have no business asking him for that ring whether you are entitled to it or not."

"And what in the hell does that have to do with anything?" Sharpay questioned. "It's obvious the girl is vibing on him big time or have you been asleep the last 48 hours?"

"This isn't about vibing this is about being in love," Gabriella shot back indignantly.

"Come on you guys don't fight. We're supposed to be on vacation and having a good time remember?" Taylor stated, her mind working through the question on the table.

"Whose fighting? I'm just trying to figure out how you wanting something that belongs to you has suddenly turned into a matter of morality is all," Sharpay said defensively.

"This is not about morality Shar but about whether her head and heart are in the same place...the right place. Don't you think Chad at least deserves that much consideration in all this?"

"Brie's right," Taylor admitted. "It isn't fair of me to want something back and yet have no real understanding of the reasons why?"

"But you already gave your reasons," Sharpay reminded in frustration. "And they were good ones as far as I can see."

"Maybe so...but were they right ones? Not just for me but for Chad as well?"

"Exactly," Gabriella sighed, feeling that she was finally getting her point across as intended. "I want nothing more than for you to have that beautiful ring back on your finger again Tay. Please believe that. But you shouldn't put it on again until you feel exactly the same way you did the night it was given to you or it diminishes the love in which you received it the first time. That's not fair to Chad or you is it?"

Taylor shook her head, her expression solemn and thoughtful. "No it isn't fair. Chad deserves to have me remember every single reason big and small that led to his proposal and the ring that symbolized everything we'd been through and shared."

"Yes. He does," Gabriella agreed, going over to sit next to Taylor and giving her a gentle hug. "But it really isn't about the memories per se. You may never get them back and that's just something we'll all have to deal with. More importantly is the question I asked that you still have yet to answer. Are you in love with Chad as much as he is in love with you?"

For a moment the room grew ominously quiet, as Taylor looked inside herself...her heart...to find the answer she needed. Then, with a tiny smile, she turned to Gabriella with a sigh and nodded.

"Yes Brie. I love Chad as much as he loves me. I know that probably sounds crazy with my condition and all but it's the truth. I swear it is. This last week being with and around him makes me so unbelievably happy I can barely stand it. Everything about him...his beauty both inside and out, his kindness, his patience, his humor...all of it touches me to the very core. I knew it from the moment I awoke in that hospital bed and he was me gazing down at me with his heart in his eyes. At the time I was too drugged, confused and scared to really know what I was feeling other than lost. But now, after only spending the briefest of time together, even still with moments of apprehension due to my loss of memory, I can't deny what it is that I feel for him. That for whatever reason remained even though everything else about our past draws a blank."

Gabriella gave Taylor another hug and smiled.

"That's all I wanted to hear. That in spite of all that has happened that you know your true heart still. It's really all that matters irregardless of what the future holds or brings."

Sharpay watched over the tender moment between best friends and sighed.

"So does this mean you are now okay with her having asked for the ring back?"

Gabriella looked over her shoulder at the East High spitfire and laughed.

"I guess I can assume you haven't had your vanilla latte yet this morning, right Ms. Thing?"

Sharpay chuckled under her breath and then smiled. "No I have not, which is why all this sappiness is on the verge of giving me a headache. So again I ask...is it alright for our girl to want her ring back now that she's confirmed what I of course already knew before the rise and shine inquisition?"

"How did you know?" Taylor asked, now too turning to look at Sharpay. 

"Because silly...a love like yours and Chad's isn't something that just builds in the mind without being nurtured in the heart. There hasn't been a day that's gone by since you came home from the hospital that you haven't talked about Chad in some form or another...at least that's what Brie told me. Even when you didn't see him for those first few weeks he was still on your mind with his calling to check and see how you were doing. Then when you asked to have Troy bring Chad to the house for a visit I knew it was just a matter of time before you realized that even without your memories in tact the love you had for him hadn't gone anywhere. Not for one single second."

"You know what Shar," Taylor said, standing up from where she sat next to Gabriella and crossing the room to where her other friend sat. "The same can be said for friendship too. Just like I know in my heart of hearts that I love Chad even without remembering how it all came to be, I feel the same way about you too. I hate that I can't remember all the fun and good times between us before my accident but it doesn't stop me from knowing deep down that in you I couldn't ask for a truer friend if I tried."

To say that the words Taylor spoke affected Sharpay completely was an understatement. She was so overwhelmed by her friend's unexpected declaration that she let the magazine in her hand slip to the floor as she stared up at her in total shock and amazement.

"You...you really mean that don't you?" Sharpay stammered, so touched was she by such strong sentiments from someone she thought she'd never be as close to again as they once were.

"Absolutely and every word," Taylor said with a reassuring smile as she leaned down and gave her friend a tender kiss on the forehead. "Just know that while I may still have my memories of Gabriella, my feelings for you, just like Chad, are anything but forgotten. You are just as much my girl as is she."

"Awww," Gabriella said, feeling tears of happiness spring to her eyes. "That is so sweet."

Taylor and Sharpay hugged and then both turned to their other weepy best girlfriend and laughed.

"Okay Montez cut that out or you'll have us all balling in a minute," Sharpay warned teasingly.

"So are we all cool now?" Taylor asked, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, not just because she could finally admit without doubt her love for Chad but Sharpay too.

"Yes. We're great!" Gabriella exclaimed happily, jumping up to go over and pull her girls into a group hug.

"Better than great," Sharpay agreed, her heart full with the knowledge that she'd finally gotten all of one of her bestfriends back.

"Good. Now can we go down to breakfast because I have no intention of trying to Christmas shop until I drop on an empty stomach?" Taylor joked, content that for the time being all was right in her world lost memories or not.

When the girls entered the dining room for breakfast they were greeted with hi's and good mornings from both their families and boyfriends, as it seemed like they were the only ones left to arrive to the table. Each girl went to give their parents, and for Taylor her siblings too, a hug and kiss before sliding into the empty chairs beside Troy, Chad and Zeke to enjoy the lavish spread of food that sat before them: Omlettes, French Toast, fresh fruit and yogurt, sausage, ham, bacon, a platter of smothered potatoes and hash browns, fresh squeezed orange juice, freshly brewed coffee and tea jammed the breakfast table from end to end. The kids were having a special treat as Lois had prepared Chrismas pancakes in the shapes of Santa, the elves and reindeer, with plenty of butter and pure maple syrup, waiting to be washed down with mugs of white hot chocolate adorned with sprigs of mint and candy canes as stirrers.

After Mr. Evans said grace over the bounty of food to be enjoyed, everyone began to dig in as boisterous chatter filled the room with talk of how they would spend the day.

"This is amazing," Taylor gushed, as she went to reach for the platter of French Toast, which Chad happily leaned over to obtain for her.

"Thank you," she said with a dazzling smile, as she relieved two thick pieces heavy with powered sugar and placed them on her plate.

"Any time," Chad said, his own smile rivaling hers in brightness. "Did you sleep okay?"

Taylor nodded as she placed a bite of the light and buttery bread into her mouth, that melted like heaven the minute it touched her tongue.

"And you?" she asked, dipping another piece into syrup that was pure pefection at its best.

"Not as well as I would have liked. I sort of had things on my mind," Chad replied, placing a ham, cheese and chive omlette on his plate while trying to decide between potatoes or hashbrowns.

"Oh I'm sorry," Taylor said feeling a hint of guilt, knowing that it was likely her parting words to him that had kept him from night of rest.

"Don't be. I've got this entire vacation to sleep," Chad assured with a wink, signaling Troy to pass him the carafe of OJ. "I'm not the least bit tired and I'm totally looking forward to spending the day in town with you."

"Me too," Taylor confessed, happy to see that in spite of her little bomb drop the night before, his spirits seemed to be up. "I think we're going to have fun. I'm looking forward to going ice skating later."

"As long as we're together it's all good," Chad said, smiling over at the sight of his little sister Corrine, who had acquired a mustache on her upper lip from her last big gulp of hot chocolate. "You know...I'd like to spend some time alone with you...just the two of us when we get back. If that's okay?"

Taylor nodded happily. "I can't wait."

Chad leaned over not caring that his parents or hers were watching them and gave Taylor a kiss on the cheek.

"Neither can I."

After breakfast was done, everyone left the table with nothing but praise for the wonderful job Lois and her staff had accomplished, heading back to their rooms to gather up jackets, purses, etc. so that they could head out to town shortly. Fifteen minutes later, the entire Evans entourage loaded back up into their SUV caravan and made the journey into South Lake Tahoe under a light blanket of falling snow.

_Later That Afternoon..._

As had been foretold by not only Sharpay's parents but Sharpay herself, everyone was having a marvelous time during their outting into town. During the first few hours of the trip, while the women went crazy in practically every little boutique and store they stumbled upon, the adult men had gone off to do some gambling at one of the local casinos, leaving the entertaining of the kids up to Troy, Chad and Zeke who were in their element since they were nothing more than big kids themselves. Luckily there was a Christmas carnival going on right in the heart of town so they spent a good portion of the afternoon there as their girlfriends tried to keep up with their mothers while exhausting their fathers' credit cards.

Then at around 2:30 p.m., everyone met up again at the ice rink, where they all doned ice skates and glided around for another hour and a half amidst a crowd of locals and tourists alike dressed in all manner of holiday attire. At one point, there were no less than seven Santas, four elves and one wobbly snowman on the ice to join in the festivities. To watch their antics was pure entertainment, only rivaled by the stunts and footwork of some of the more serious skaters, a few of whom looked like they were practicing for the next Olympics with their jumps, spins and other forms of acrobatic prowess.

It was just after 4:00 p.m., when the group as a whole decided to call it a day and head back to the house to relax, take naps, and settle in for a cozy evening to share each others' company, wrap presents, hang stockings and just enjoy being together on the night before Christmas.

On the ride back home, which took slightly longer due to a much heavier snowfall that had begun just as they were driving out of the town limits, Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay all fell asleep in the comforting warmth of their boyfriends' arms.

Once back at the house, everyone rushed inside where they were greeted by a roaring fire in the living room and steaming beverages to take the chill off, as staff proceeded to unload shopping bag after shopping bag of their day's plunder under Mrs. Evans' watchful eye.

Gabriella and Sharpay were both still a little tired and decided to finish their cozy naps upstairs along with the littlest girls, while Zeke and Troy took Taylor's brother up on his X-box challenge in the entertainment room. The older women gathered in one of the private dens in the rear of the house with its own fireplace, to begin the task of wrapping up additional gifts to be placed beneath the tree with those they'd brought along from home. And with their wives and girlfriend contentedly distracted, the men took the opportunity to head for the billard room to enjoy cigars and Cognac until it was time for dinner.

Watching as their loved ones scattered to every available corner of the house, Chad and Taylor waited until they were alone to decide on what it was they wanted to do to keep themselves busy for the next few hours until it was time to eat again. They had been anxiously awaiting this time together and unknown to Taylor, Chad had found something more than appropriate for them to enjoy.

After having her put her parka back on as did he, they both left the house and went outside around to the back where there was a little bungalow situated a few yards from the entrance to the kitchen. Taylor had remembered seeing it the night before when they'd been at the fire pit roasting marshmellows, but it wasn't until now that its existence peaked her interest.

"And just where are you taking me Chad Danforth?" She asked with a curious laugh, loving the mischevious grin he wore on his face as he pulled her along.

"You'll see...it's a surprise," he replied, coming to the door of the smaller building, which he opened and led her through.

When Chad turned on the lights, Taylor gasped in surprise when she saw before them a beautifully tiled circular grecian-style spa sitting in the middle of the room.

"It's a jacuzzi!" she exclaimed clapping her hands together as Chad left her side for a moment to switch on the jets, which turned the pool into a bubbling warmth filled paradise.

"Yeah it is. You like?" he asked with a hopeful smile.

"Oh I love it! But how did you know this was in here?"

"Ryan told me about it. Said it was definitely one of his favorite places to hang out at whenever his family came here to visit," Chad stated, grateful for the information of its existence.

"Are you sure we won't get into trouble for using it without permission?" Taylor asked cautiously, even as she stood their dying to get in and let the water surge all over her body.

"Of course not. Mr. Evans said we have the run of the house and that includes this place. I'm sure the others will know about it soon enough. I just wanted us to get to it before everyone else," Chad explained, slipping out of his parka and gloves.

"But I didn't bring a suit with me," Taylor said a little nervously, as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You need a suit?" Chad teased, loving the way she immediately blushed at his taunting her. "You sure?"

Taylor placed her hands on her hips and sighed in mock exasperation.

"Of coure I need a suit silly. Or have you forgotten my father is on this trip with us?"

Chad laughed. "No way would I forget something like that. So...if you must...you see that door over there in the corner?"

Taylor looked to where he was pointing and nodded.

"Well that's a mini dressing room equipped with all manner of suits. You go in and change into whatever you like and I'll do the same in the guys room over there. Then I'll meet you in the pool in say five minutes or so. Okay?"

"Okay," Taylor said with a giggle, as she walked off with a smile to go change, while Chad did the same, both eagerly looking forward to sharing an exprience she still had no idea was such an important link to their past and possibly the begining of a whole new future for them.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

When Taylor emerged from the dressing room five minutes later wearing a one-piece black halter bathing suit, hair pulled up so as not to get wet, she found Chad waiting in the warm swirling water, staring at her like he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Wow!" was his amazed response, standing up to hold out a hand to help her step down into what she already knew would feel like heaven on earth. "You...you...look so incredibly..."

"Hot?" Taylor laughed, finishing his sentence, as she tingled all over from his appreciative gaze.

"And then some. That suit should come with a label that reads straight lethal," Chad joked, thankful in that moment that the lower part of his body was submerged below water.

"Doesn't Mrs. Evans has impeccable taste? This particular beauty is a Dolce and Cabana," Taylor stated rather wide-eyed and awestruck, trying her best not to gawk at his well-defined chest or to die for six-pack, as she slid into the water to sit down beside him.

"Well lets give a round of deserving applause to one Dolce and Cabana shall we?" Chad teased, clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

"You're crazy. You do know that right?" Taylor laughed, a contented sigh escaping her lips, her body now at the complete mercy of the bubbling flow that surrounded her.

"I absolutely know it. I guess you can chalk it up to being apart of my irresistable charm."

"Oh...are you irresistable? I hadn't noticed."

"You haven't? Damn! And here I thought my game was too tight to touch."

"Wait...you've got game too?" Taylor taunted with a playful smile. "That's news to me."

Chad shook his head and laughed. "Awww...I see somebody's got major jokes in here today. My already fragile ego is going to be in shreds if this keeps up."

"You poor baby," came Taylor's soothing reply, as she allowed the water to sway her body closer to his until they were gently rubbing against one another. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not," Chad said with a boyish pout, doing his best not to smile. "Here I am trying to open the gates of paradise to you and all I get is dissed for my efforts. If this is how you're going to do me I might as well get out, get dressed, go inside and help Zeke bake cookies or something."

"Well if you're taking orders...chocolate chip is my favorite, heavy on the nuts," Taylor tossed back, loving the sassy banter between them. "Oh...and I like my milk to be ice cold with that too."

"You are so wrong and you know it," Chad scolded, loving the way she could give as good as she got from him.

He then smoothly manuvered his arm underwater around her waist and, in one flowing move, positioned her from being at his side to being directly in front of him so that they were now face-to-face. Without a hint of hesitation, Taylor reached out and placed both her hands on Chad's shoulders, as his other arm came around to complete his full embrace. They remained that way for a few moments, bobbing gently with the ebb and flow of the water, all smiles and sparkling eyes, their bodies covered in a sheen of steamy moisture.

Then the inevitable happened, as Chad slowly drew Taylor toward him into a slow sensual kiss that made everything else fade from existence. Each thought the taste of the other's lips exquisite, the passion behind them sweet and inviting. By the time they managed to pull themselves apart, both were breathing so heavy that the sound seemed to echo from every corner of the room.

"Now it's my turn to say wow," Taylor softly stated, her body trembling with sensation, forehead pressed against Chad's. "Has anyone ever told you what an amazing kisser you are?"

"If it wasn't or isn't you I really don't care," came Chad's response, the longing for her making his head spin. "I can't imagine ever again kissing another the way I love to kiss you."

Caressing his cheek Taylor sighed. "Have you always been this sweet and romantic, or is it just the jacuzzi talking?"

He laughed. "No. Not always. I actually used to be something of a jerk, especially toward you."

"So I've heard. When did that all change?"

Chad took a moment to think. "It changed when I started growing up and taking other people's feelings into consideration. When I stopped trying to be like all the other "guys" and learned it was okay to just be myself. After that, it was easy to be your friend without all the competition and snarking. I always knew, even when we were kids, that you were the one, but it wasn't until I got my act together that I was able to show you how I really felt. Lucky for me you didn't laugh in my face or take me for a joke."

Taylor smiled and kissed the top of his nose. "Believe me Chad when I say that you are no joke. Not even close."

He again pulled her into a tender embrace, holding her in his arms like he never wanted to let go. After a few minutes, Taylor leaned back a little, staring at him with her big brown eyes, marveling at how alive he made her feel from head to toe.

"I love you Chad Danforth," she said softly, catching herself off guard. "I don't care about the hows and whys, only that you know that I do with everything in me."

There was a brief pause between them as he gazed at her like a man undone by a rush of powerful emotion.

"I know," he finally replied in a hushed whisper of his own. "I've always known that even with the loss of your memories. You just needed to realize it for yourself is all."

Taylor's heart swelled with happiness at the sound of his words.

"So...so...does this mean I now truly have the right to ask for my ring back?" she asked, wondering if a person could die from experiencing so much joy in a single moment.

Chad looked at her strangely, not quite understanding what she meant.

"What makes you think you never had a right to have your ring back? I assumed that was the reason you made the request for it last night in the hallway."

Taylor shook her head. "No. Last night I only asked for it because I wanted it, it was mine, and you'd given it to me. I was being completely selfish."

"How so?"

"Well...Gabriella explained it to me this morning from your point of view. She was pretty upset that I'd asked for it back without considering your feelings first. She said that too merely want it for the reasons I gave weren't fair to you or to the intentions in which the ring was given. That I had to love you now as much as you loved me when you first placed it on my finger or I basically didn't deserve to have it returned."

"Brie said that?" Chad asked sounding impressed.

"Yes she did. And she was right. I finally had to face that it didn't matter if I ever regained my memories of our past together. What did and does matter is only that the love I felt for you then, was equally as strong now, and if I was ready to admit that to myself."

"And now you have and to me too. So in answer to your question...yes, you have the right to have your ring back." Chad

Taylor's heart soared. "I heard that your grandmother gave it to you and that it is absolutely beautiful."

Chad nodded. "She did and it is. My grandfather gave it to her when he proposed many many years ago. To be honest, I was a little shocked that she even dared to part with it in the first place. But I guess after I had explained to her how much I loved and wanted to marry you, she didn't hesitate to send it to me."

"I can't wait for us to get home so I can see it for myself and have you put it back on my finger again," Taylor said excitedly. "I know I won't be able to wear it out in the open because we have to keep it a secret from our folks until we graduate, but I would still love to be able to put it on when I can just to know that you're with me."

"Hold that thought," Chad said, suddenly releasing his hold on her and standing up. "I'll be right back."

Taylor watched curiously as he climbed out of the jacuzzi and made his way back into the dressing room, only to return a few seconds later. Getting into the bubbling water, he gently reached down, took her left hand in his, and then slowly slid the engagement ring onto her third finger. Taylor gasped in surprise.

"Chad! You mean you've had it with you this whole time?"

He nodded. "Yeah I did. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Taylor exclaimed, holding her hand up to admire the diamonds in their setting. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Oh thank you so much for bringing it with you."

"And thank you for even wanting it again. I can't begin to tell you how afraid I was that you wouldn't or me either for that matter," Chad confessed, his voice thick with undisguised relief. "You've made me just as happy as you did the day you first accepted it almost two months ago."

The words he spoke tugged hopelessy at her heart, causing Taylor to suddenly turn her attention away from the brillance of the engagement ring to focus on that which she saw reflected in his own gorgeous face and eyes.

"You know Chad...this is the first official Christmas gift I've received so far," she said in a sweet yet seductive voice, something in her manner going from nice to naughty. "And as such, I think it's only fair that I give you a gift as well."

"You are my gift Taylor. The only one I want," he said.

She let her body drift up to his until their noses were practically touching and said, "If that's the case...then go ahead and unwrap me."

A sexy and mischevious grin began to spread across Chad's face.

"What did you just ask?"

Taylor shook her head coyly. "I'm not asking anything. I'm tellling you. Open your present. And you better hurry up because it's almost time for us to go in for dinner."

His eyes grew wider at the seductive way she had put her proposal on the table making his heart race with desire. Without having to take further instruction, Chad reached up and slowly pulled down the straps to her suit, their eyes locked in intense longing. When the top half was eased down to her waist, Taylor wrapped her arms around his neck, flashed a beautiful loving smile, and closed in for a kiss that could have scorched stone.

It was nearly 6:00 p.m., when the two young lovers finally emerged from the sanctuary of the bungalow, both wearing smiles that could have lit up the world. Walking arm and arm back to the house, neither said a word as they let the memory of what they'd just shared silently echo between them.

Upon reaching the front door a few moments later, Chad paused, pulled Taylor into his arms, and kissed her so passionately that she had to catch her breathe. Then he tweaked her nose playfully, took her hand in his, and led them inside to join their friends and family.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," Troy stated, seeing his two friends emerging from the foyer looking both flushed yet extremely alive. "We were all wondering what had happened to you two."

"Hey guys," Chad said, leading Taylor into the living room where Gabriella, Zeke, Sharpay and Troy were all hanging out. "I hope we didn't miss anything. We went for a walk and just lost track of time."

"Nope. Not a thing," Gabriella spoke up from where she sat curled up next to Troy on the sofa. "We were just about to start hanging the Christmas stockings over the fireplace."

"And where are the parents and kids?" Taylor wondered, grabbing a handful of popcorn from a large bowl situated on one of the side tables. "Aren't they going to hang their stockings up too?"

"Well the last time I checked, which was right after Brie and I awoke up from our naps, the moms were in one of the back dens still wrapping gifts, the dads and boyfriend were playing pool, and after Zeke and Troy got beat to a pulp by your little brother in X-box, he and the girls went to the kitchen to help Lois prepare the Christmas gingerbread house," Sharpay explained, pointing to a corner of the stone mantle that she wanted Zeke to hang his stocking on.

"So how soon before dinner? I'm starving," Chad said, glancing over at Taylor with a wink and a smile before joining her in one of the overstuffed chairs.

"I think around 6:30 p.m. or so," Sharpay replied. "As soon as Lois and the kids are finished."

"Good. That gives us some extra time to fool around," Troy joked, nibbling at Gabriella's shoulder, which got him a playful smack to the head.

Just then, Zeke caught sight of Taylor's engagement ring reflecting off the glow of the fire and let out a low whistle.

"Nice rock you got there McKessie," he teased, as Troy, Gabriella and Sharpay all turned to stare at she and Chad who looked anything but innocent in that moment.

"Oh my God Tay! You're wearing your ring!" Gabriella exclaimed, scurring off the couch and rushing over to her friend's side for an up close inspection.

"Looking good girl," Sharpay congratulated, giving an approving thumbs up. "I knew you could do it. A woman and her diamonds should never be parted."

"So I guess this means you two are an official item again huh Danforth?" Troy asked, watching as his girlfriend all but drooled over the glittering jewel that adorned Taylor's finger. "I'm happy for you. Happy for you both."

"Thanks man," Chad said, his smile ear to ear.

"You know you really shouldn't be wearing that in here," Gabriella warned, as she released Taylor's hand and went back to the couch. "What if your folks or Chad's had been in here when you both came back and saw?"

"Oh come on Brie. Now's not the time for your spoil sport routine. Let the love birds have a moment to enjoy their happiness okay?" Sharpay suggested, giving her friends an encouraging smile.

"I'm not being a spoil sport just cautious is all. I seriously doubt the plan to keep this a secret from Mr. and Mrs. Danforth and Mr. and Mrs. McKessie has changed, unless of course I'm wrong."

Taylor shook her head, realizing that what her best friend was saying was true.

"No. That hasn't changed. You're right, I shouldn't even have taken the chance. To be honest though, I'd actually forgotten I was wearing it until Zeke pointed it out."

"A woman forgetting she is wearing diamonds? Unheard of," Sharpay said with a distasteful shiver.

"Well unheard of or not, Brie's right," Chad agreed, picking up Taylor's hand and kissing it gently. "We can't allow anyone but the people in this room to know about our engagement just like before so for now..."

"I'll have to take it off and put it away for safekeeping," Taylor finished, as she removed the ring from her finger and placed it inside her jacket pocket.

It was at that very moment the sound of many voices converging together in the hallway could be heard, as all of their parents made their way toward the living room from their various private places in the house.

Relieved that she'd removed the ring in the nick of time, Taylor sighed with relief. Then she glanced over at Chad with a smile, only to find him looking at her like she was desert, and in that instant prayed that the minute her father and mother entered the room that neither one would see that she'd spent the last few hours being anything but their good "little" girl.

_After Dinner..._

Once everyone had had their fill of yet another delicious meal prepared and served by Lois and her staff, they all moved back into the livingroom with it roaring fire and Christmas music to prepare to hang their stockings, listen to Mr. Evans read _Twas The Night Before Christmas _and, before retiring for the night, open at least one gift.

As families and couples snuggled together on the couches, chairs and sofas, marveling at the Christmas tree that had been lit while eating and with an array of gifts beneath it that would put a department store to shame, not one of them could deny that this was as near to a perfect holiday any of them had ever had. Everyone laughed and talked enjoying the wonderful mood that filled the room never wanting the evening to end.

After a while, the younger kids went upstairs to put on their pajamas only to return to Christmas cookies and mugs of hot chocolate. They then gathered around the armchair occupied by Sharpay's father, who explained how he'd read _Twas The Night Before Christmas _to Ryan and Sharpay every year since they were children, and how honored he was to finally have some real little kids to share it with again now that his own were all grown up.

Curled up against Chad's shoulder, as was Gabriella with Troy and Sharpay with Zeke, Taylor listened to the story with a happy heart, for once not caring about lost memories or anything else from her past that she still had yet to remember. All she knew was that in this moment she was loved and safe and that was all that really mattered. Thinking about the engagement ring in her coat pocket, she smiled realizing that for the first time since her accident she had a real future to look forward too and it was going to be spent with Chad. As if sensing her thoughts of him, he leaned down and kissed the top of Taylor' head, making her sigh contentedly.

Once story time was finished, they all took turns hanging their stockings on the fireplace mantle and then the opening of one gift began. Of course Taylor, Chad and their friends all opened up a gift from their significant other.

First it was Sharpay's gift to Zeke...a beautiful international cuisine cookbook along with 10 private cooking lessons with one of the premier chefs at the _Golden Garlic _restaurant back home. His gift to her was a pair of diamond studded earrings to match the bracelet he'd given her during senior weekend. Then came Troy's gift to Gabriella...a beautiful jade and sapphire hair comb that brought gasps of delight from every woman in the room they were so gorgeous and delicate. She in turn gave him a collectors basketball autographed by one of his heros...Micahel Jordan along with a replica of his jersey. That brought all kinds of oohs, aaahs and hugs from her boyfriend and a tiny bit of envy from both Chad and Zeke. Next came Chad's gift to Taylor..a beautiful 14k gold locket with a picture of them, one on each side. Her gift came last among the group and it actually turned out to be one that Chad could share with his friends...three tickets to an NCAA basketball playoff game which had been sold out for months. Chad nearly died from shock, while Zeke and Troy danced around like it was their birthdays.

It was close to 11:00 p.m., when everyone began to feel the exhaustion of their busy yet fun-filled day and decided it was time to retire to bed. All were more than pleased with the gifts they'd opened that night, setting the stage for even more excitement the next morning when paper, ribbons and tissue would be flying for sure. After hugs and kisses and well wishes for a good nights sleep, families dispersed for the night to their rooms to prepare for an even more hectic day to follow.

Right before Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay went to their rooms, each took a moment at the foot of the stairs to again thank their guys for the wonderful gifts they'd received with the same sentiments being returned. Then the 3 couples all shared one last good night kiss before heading upstairs.

A short time later, just before Taylor was about to crawl into bed and turn out the lights, as Gabriella had fallen into a deep sleep the minute her head hit the pillow, there was a soft knock at their door. Going over to open it, she peaked into the hallway and saw Chad standing their bare chested, wearing a pair of black sweats.

"Isn't it past your bedtime Mr. Danforth?" Taylor whispered softly with a laugh, checking over her shoulder to make sure their voices didn't awaken her best friend.

"I just wanted to tell you one more thing before I went to sleep," he said, looking at her with a sweetly boyish grin.

"Oh really? And what's that?"

"I love you."

Taylor smiled. "Is that all?"

"That's all," Chad replied.

"Well guess what?"

"What?"

"I love you too."

Chad leaned over and playfully stole a quick kiss.

"Stop that before you make me want to see what else we can do under the mistletoe," Taylor said pointing above their heads with a naughty smile, making him laugh. "Now go to bed and get some rest, we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams," Chad said with a wink, as he slowly turned and padded back down the hallway to his room.

Taylor watched him go until he'd closed his door before she closed her own, leaning against it with sigh and a beating heart so full of love for him that she thought she would burst. All she could think was happy holidays indeed.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

_Merry Christmas_

When Taylor awoke on Christmas morning, the first thing she noticed from where she lay against her mound of fluffy down pillows was the thick blanket of snow that clung to the bedroom windows and was still continuing to fall.

Glancing over at the clock which read 6:05 a.m., then in the direction of a still sleeping Gabriella curled up like a little girl, a tiny smile upon her lips, Taylor pushed back the covers and went to look outside at nature's wonder. Every roof and tree top that she could see for miles around was heavily coated in fresh powder, making for a near blindingly bright yet contrastingly bleak visual experience. It truly was a white Christmas in every sense of the word.

Shivering just a bit, Taylor wondered if anyone else but she were awake, as she slipped into her robe, tying the sash. The only other people whom she could even imagine being up at this hour were the little ones, but there was not a hint of movememnt to be heard that made this a possibility since her ears detected nothing but total quiet throughout the house.

Smiling, Taylor went back to stand at the window, looking out as her thoughts drifted back over the day before when she and Chad had made love in the jaccuzi and then spent the evening with friends and family. It was truly a happiness she'd never known, or at the very least had sadly forgotten.

How she wished more than anything that the one gift she could have given on this day to the people she loved was her memory restored, but she knew that it would be up to God to see that such a miracle occurred and in the time he deemed it to be so. Until then, the new memories she was creating here and now would have to suffice. Not that she was complaining. Taylor was more than thankful for the wonderful experiences she'd had since coming home from the hospital and the steps she'd taken in securing some of her old life by reconnecting with those around her. The fact that she now finally able to face what she felt for Chad and let him wrap her up in his love was something that she would forever remember as the highlight of this vacation.

Just then her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the bedroom door. Momentarily startled, Taylor quickly felt a smile overcome her, believing she knew who it was on the other side. When she tip-toed over to open it, she was at first shocked by whom she found there but then plesantly surprised at the sight of her little sister, Danielle, standing there in her pajamas, clutching a teddy bear and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"What are you doing up so early Dani?" Taylor asked, stooping down to take her youngest sibling in her arms with a warm hug and a smile. "Shouldn't you still be in bed?"

"It's Christmas Tay," the little girl said with a precocious grin and a yawn. "You and me always get up before everyone else at Christmas. Don't you remember?"

"Of course we do honey. I'm so glad you thought to come and remind me," Taylor said, kissing her forehead. "Big sisters like me definitely need someone to look out for them as good as you do."

Dani's face lit up at the compliment as she peaked over Taylor's shoulder to where Gabriella was still soundly asleep.

"Brie's not up yet?" she asked curiously.

"No sweetie, she's still tired and needs her rest," Taylor replied, looking over at the bed herself to make sure she was right, which she was.

"That's okay. At least you, me, and Corrine are awake now," Dani stated. "Oh...and Chad too."

"Chad's awake?" Taylor asked, with a look of surprise. "How do you know that?"

"Because silly...he's the one who told me to come upstairs and get you," Dani admitted without pretense. "He and Rine are in the livingroom waiting for us. Chad said to tell you that Santa was waiting to give you some more of his special gifts like in the jacuzzi."

Taylor's eyebrows raised at that remark, causing her to laugh.

"Oh really? Chad told you that?"

Dani nodded, immensely enjoying the role of confidant and messenger to her big sister and Chad, whom she adored.

"Well thank you for relaying that to me precious. I so appreciate you having my back."

"No problem. But..but...Tay...what's a jacuzzi?"

The question brought an immediate blush to Taylor's cheeks as she rolled her eyes us up toward the ceiling.

"It's sort of like a big bathtub with lots of bubbles that move around."

"Oh," Dani said still confused. "Why would Santa leave gifts for you in a bathtub? Wouldn't that get them all wet?"

Sensing she was close to the danger zone when it came to trying to explain to her sister just what Chad's naughty comment to her really meant, Taylor covered by pulling the child into another loving hug.

"You're right baby. They would get wet. We won't pay any attention to what Chad said okay? He was just being funny is all."

"Oh! Okay. Boys!" Dani sighed with a shake of her head, little hands on hips in an exasperated stance.

"Exactly. Boys indeed," Taylor agreed, squelching the loud laugh she wanted to let loose at her sister's indignance over her boyfriend's sense of humor, but worried she'd awake everyone in the house with. "Come on. Let's you and me go see what Chad and Corrine are up too shall we?"

A few moments later the McKessie sisters came quietly down the staircase hand-in-hand. When they walked into the living room they saw the Danforth siblings seated on one of the couches giggling and talking, as Corrine sat cozily in Chad's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. She was quizzing her older brother as to why they couldn't start opening presents up since they were now awake, with him trying to explain how they had to wait for mommy, daddy and everyone else to wake up first.

"Good morning you two. Merry Christmas," Taylor sang out as she and Dani approached.

"Merry Christmas Taylor!" Corrine exclaimed, casting a sunny smile in her direction, over Chad's shoulder.

"Merry Christmas," he stated in kind, his own grin at the sight of Taylor both sweet and sexy at the same time. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. And you?" Taylor asked, as she and Dani came to sit beside them.

"Great. Until the little princess here decided she needed to wake her big brother up before he was ready just like at home."

"Oh you have one of those too? I thought it was just me?"

Danielle and Corrine looked at one another and began to giggle, knowing their brother and sister were teasing them for being dragged out of bed before everyone else.

Unexpectedly, the kitchen door suddenly swung open and out walked Lois the cook carrying a tray with four mugs of hot chocolate on it.

"Good morning everyone. Merry Christmas," she said in a tone that was a strange mixture of stern warmth. "I thought you might like a little pick me up to start your day. Seems this time of year I constantly have a pot of this stuff on the ready."

"Thank you Lois!" the girls sing-songed, as the older woman handed each a mug. "Merry Christmas to you too!"

"Yes Lois. Thank you and Merry Christmas," Chad said taking the mug he was given and handing it over to Taylor. "Everything we've ate and drank the last few days has been awesome. I'm probably going to leave here fat as a pig."

Lois looked at him knowingly. "Oh I doubt that young man. Just keep spending time in the jacuzzi when you can and you'll no doubt go home in better shape than when you arrived. Stamina might just turn out to be your middle name."

Taylor nearly spit her hot chocolate out at the comment, as she glanced over at Chad whose jaw had practically hit the floor.

Then with a tiny smile, Lois winked at them all and turned to head back into the kitchen. Before retreating behind the door again she called over her shoulder, "If the little ones are interested, I could use some help in a bit to prepare some more of those special pancakes they like so much. Perhaps we could do them in the shape of snowflakes and jingle bells?"

Corrine and Dani both sat up at attention, their eyes sparkling at the invitation.

"Oooh can we Tay, can we help Lois prepare breakfast?"

"Yeah Chad, can we?"

They both looked at their sisters and laughed.

"Of course. But you have to mind Lois and do what she says," Taylor replied, enjoying the look of excitement upon both their adorable faces.

"That's right," Chad added. "Finish up your drinks first and then you can go."

The girls smiled happily at one another as they all but gulped down their mugs of hot chocolate in a minute flat, before sliding off the couch to scurry into the kitchen to play helper.

Once they were gone and Chad and Taylor were alone, Taylor scooted over on the couch and gave him a tender kiss on the lips.

"Morning."

Chad chuckled. "Morning. Looks like it's just you and me until everyone else decides its time to get up."

"Works for me," Taylor sighed, taking a sip of her chocolate, loving the way it felt to lie there next to him.

There was a brief pause between them and then...

"Did you catch that remark Lois made about the jacuzzi?" Chad wondered, trying to keep his voice low still in disbelief at what he'd heard.

"Did I? How could I not. I pratically fell out from sheer embarassment," Taylor replied, still feeling the blush upon her cheeks. "I still can't believe she'd be so bold as to say something like that even though she obviously found it amusing and nothing for us to be ashamed about."

"I know. But like you, I still can't believe she said it in the first place."

"Oh...and why is that?" Taylor asked turning to look up into his beautiful brown eyes.

"I'm not following you," Chad stated confused.

"Sure you are "Santa". I mean aren't you the one who sent my little sister upstairs with a message about having more gifts for me in the jacuzzi? Sounds like you and Lois are definitely on the same one track if you ask me."

Chad smiled mischeviously. "Oh that?"

"Yeah. That." Taylor laughed playfully punching him in the stomach. "What were you thinking having Dani relay something like that to me?"

"Honestly? I was thinking about how much I love and want you and how happy I've been ever since we got here," was Chad's heartfelt response.

Taylor was just about to tease him for always knowing the right thing to say to get himself out of trouble, when Sharpay, Gabriella, Troy and Zeke all wandered into the room still looking half asleep.

"Merry Christmas," Sharpay said stifling a yawn as she plopped down on one of the vacant couches with Zeke right behind her.

"Yes everyone, Merry Christmas," Gabriella chimed in, more awake than the other three, as she sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Taylor and Chad beside Troy.

"Yeah folks...Feliz Navidad," Troy greeted, as he he threw his head back against the couch with a sigh.

"Same here," Zeke offered as well, his head now resting in Sharpay's lap.

Taylor couldn't help but laugh at all of them.

"Guys what are you all doing up? Obviously you're still tired. Why not go back to bed until the folks rise and shine?"

Sharpay slowly raised a hand in diva-like fashion as if she were about to give a response like in Darbus' class.

"I'll answer that question for a thousand Alex. Simply put...we're a bunch of competitive so and so's who can't stand the idea of you and Chad having any time together alone on the biggest day of the year, or experiencing any type of fun that we can't be apart of."

Chad cracked up. "Oh...that sounds about right. Thanks for clearing that up Shar."

"No prob Chad."

Taylor and Gabriella both snickered while Troy let loose a yawn even a grizzly bear would be proud of.

"You know...I sure could use a nice cup of Camamille tea right about now," Zeke stated, stretching out like a giant cat. "Definitely need something to perk me up a bit before the festivities get underway."

"Me too, only I want some more of that delicious hot chocolate," Gabriella agreed, followed by Sharpay's morning whine for her Vanilla latte and Troy's grunt for coffee.

Right on cue, Lois again appeared from behind the kitchen door carrying another tray of mugs, this time handing one each to the newest arrivals.

"Bless you," Sharpay said, perking up considerably as the aroma of her beloved drink took hold of her senses.

"There is a God after all," Troy groaned happily when the smell of coffee hit his nostrils.

"Awesome," Gabriella sighed, taking a sip of her hot chocolate, grinning like a child.

Zeke practically began purring the minute his lips touched his cup of tea, instantly warming him from head to toe.

"Thank you so much Lois. Just what the doctor ordered," he smiled, now curled up against Sharpay's shoulder contendedly.

"So Shar...what's on the agenda for today?" Taylor inquired, watching Lois depart once again, as she now was finished with her own drink which she set aside on the coffee table.

"Yeah Evans...how soon before the sleigh and reindeer arrive?" Chad teased, attempting to get a rise out of the blonde diva.

Sharpay stared at him over her cup of latte with a pleased look of triumph in her eyes.

"I know you pride yourself at being quite clever Danforth, but I have to say that in this instance you're right on the money for a change."

"What do you mean?" Chad asked curiously.

"I mean that while I can't promise you any reindeer, your guess about a sleigh ride couldn't be more accurate."

"Really?" Gabriella gasped in surprise, her face beaming. "We're going to take a sleigh ride? A real sleigh ride?"

"Yes Brie, a real sleigh ride. It's an Evans tradition," Sharpay confirmed. "We usually head out about 11:00 or so. Go all through the back country drawn by horses."

"That's awesome," Zeke gushed, sitting up straight. "I've never been on a sleigh ride before. How great is that?"

"Whoo hoo! I can hardly wait," Troy stated in a less than enthusiastic voice tinged with sarcasm, bringing a well placed elbow from Gabriella to the ribs.

"Oh stop being such a scrooge," she scolded, already thinking about what she was going to wear, wanting to make sure she looked especially Christmas like for this particular outing.

"Yeah Troy...stop being a grinch," Chad joked, as he found himself silently looking foward to the new experience.

"Wow Sharpay. You weren't kidding when you said your folks go all out for the holidays were you?" Taylor reminded, beyond impressed.

"No I wasn't. It's like a sickness with them. Especially my mother."

"Well it all sounds great to me. I so can't wait," Gabriella stated with a twinkle in her eyes. "And just think how the kids are going to react when they hear. I bet Corrine and Dani go nuts over the idea."

"I agree. Even my brother David is going to get a kick out of something like this," Taylor agreed.

"And what happens after we go sleding through the daisies?" Troy asked, ready for his second cup of coffee which had yet to magically appear as the first.

"Usually when we get back we have a buffet lunch and then pretty much do whatever we want," Sharpay supplied. "We can take the snowmobiles out again, go skiing and/or snowboarding...it's really about what you're in the mood to do. My dad likes to spend time in the afternoon going ice fishing which I loathe, while mom keeps busy getting the house organized for some of our neighbors who'll come over later for drinks and hor dourves. Oh..and I almost forgot to mention...we have a jacuzzi out back as well. Maybe we can all take a dip in their later if the adults haven't already been given the heads up and beat us to it."

The minute the word jacuzzi fell out of Sharpay's mouth, Taylor and Chad looked at each other with a funny smile and then busted out laughing.

_Three Hours Later..._

It was just after 9:00 a.m., when the last of the gifts had finally been opened and the entire household was alive with noisy chatter amid an endless sea of torn wrapping paper, tissue and ribbon. It seemed that everyone had an abundance of presents at their disposal ranging from clothes, toys, jewlery, gift certificates and money to Taylor's big surprise, a new car waiting for her back home courtesy of her parents who brought along a picture of it for her to gush over.

Then it was off to another breakfast fit for royalty, while the staff made the house presentable again for the guests that were to arrive later that night. Once all had been fed and there was nothing but an overload of pleasure that permeated the entire house, everyone went off to shower and dress to prepare for the sleigh ride into the woods.

It was just around 10:45 a.m., when the household of Christmas revelers all met up back downstairs warmly dressed beneath heavy parkas, adorned with hats, gloves and scarves, along with hand and ear muffs, anxious to get going on their newest adventure.

When they stepped out the front door into the briskness of the day, oohs, aaahs, and gasps of delight could be heard from everyone in the group as they marveled at the beauty of the four Russian inspired Troika sleighs that waited on the snow covered driveway equipped with two gorgeous horses apiece and a driver.

"This is like a something out of a fairytale," Gabriella exclaimed, her eyes wide as saucers. "The only time I've ever seen sleighs like these were in chapters on Russia in my history books."

"I know aren't they absolutely beautiful?" Taylor agreed, beyond excited to climb into one and snuggle up with Chad under the blankets she saw resting on the plush leather double seats.

Sharpay leaned over to her awestruck girlfriends and whispered, "Zeke and I are going to ride with mother and dad so the four of you can share a sleigh together. Okay?"

Gabriella and Taylor nodded still in a trance, as Troy and Chad took their hands and guided them into the second sleigh. Behind them were , Jack and Lucy Bolton and Lisa and Lee Danforth, followed by Robert and Glenda McKessie, Gabriella's mom, her boyfriend Vincent, and the three children. When all of the guests were secure and comfortable, Mr. and Mrs. Evans climbed into the first sleigh with Sharpay and Zeke seated in the rear.

"Is everyone ready?" Mr. Evans called out.

"Yes!" came a collective ring of excited voices.

"Then off we go!"

The lead driver was then given the single to start the ride and the horses where prodded into motion as each sleigh began to slowly pull away from the front of the house, where Lois and a few of the staff stood on the landing watching the families depart with smiles and waves in their direction.

Little did any of them know that such a joyful occasion was about to turn deadly and that not all who were departing would eventually return.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

_Sometime Later That Afternoon..._

When Troy suddenly came to as if startled from a deep sleep and found himself sprawled out on a hard wooden floor, the first thing he noticed was the excruciating pain which tore through his head like a searing hot knife. So intense was the sensation that he could barely focus his eyes at first but, when he finally did, the sight that greeted him sent a shiver of disbeliving fear through his entire body.

A few feet away, lying on the same floor as he, was an unconscious Sharpay looking like death warmed over, her skin clammy, its color a ghostly white. Although his vision was still somewhat blurred, Troy manged to make out a small ribbon of blood trickling down from her right ear letting him know that she had been injured. The only question now was if she were still alive.

Trying his best to focus all his energy onto his wounded friend, Troy forced himself, through his own misery, to slowly crawl over to where she was, calling out her name as he advanced.

"Sharpay! Sharpay! Can you hear me? It's Troy."

He was greeted with a chilling silence that caused his fear for her life to greatly intensify.

Growing closer to reaching her side, Troy began to hear the sound of soft labored breathing. In that moment since awakening, his terror began to subside slightly upon realizing that although hurt, Sharpay remained very much alive. When finally next to her body, he checked for a pulse and sighed when one was found, although it didn't ease his mind given that she still remained unresponsive.

He then began to take real notice of their surroundings and realized that they were in some type of room, everything about it broken, creaky, and thick with the stench of mildew.

There were fragments of old furniture all around: a 3-legged table with the legless edge against the floor, two ratty looking chairs without bottoms, a sagging mattress discarded in the corner, and a pot-bellied stove that looked like it hadn't been lit in years. There were also a few rickety shelves on a wall over a ring-rusted sink, one of which was dangling precariously on one side.

Troy turned his head and saw a door only a few feet away in the opposite direction of his initial focus, and for a brief second relief set in. There was a way out after all!

Then as he looked closer, he noted that there were two small windows on either side of the door. Both of them completely covered by a thick layer of snow straining against the grimy panes of glass, as if they would shatter from the weight against them at any moment. However, there still remained the faintest glimmer of light in the room, which Troy realized was filtering in from a partially snow covered skylight up above. It's errie glow fell down upon Sharpay's body like a murky spotlight.

"Where in the hell are we?" Troy called aloud into what he had figured out to be an old abandoned cabin.

He tried desperately to remember what had brought them here in the first place and what it would take to get them out, but the pain in his head prevented him from having a moment of real clarity.

Just then he was shaken out of his pain and frustration by the sound of a groan escaping Sharpay's lips, as she began to move her head from side to side, mumbling Zeke's name as she slowly came to.

"Shar! Shar!" Troy cried, grabbing her hand as he hovered over her with deep concern. "Can you hear me? Wake up. It's Troy!"

"Troy?" she weakly responded, bringing a hand to her head as her eyes fluttered open. "Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me. Are you okay?"

Sharpay struggled past her wooziness and attempted to gain her bearings, as her friend gently helped her to sit up. When she saw his face and how banged up it was she gasped.

"Oh my God Troy you're hurt!" she exclaimed. "There is a huge bloody gash right above your left eye!"

Reaching a hand up, he felt the moistness of blood on his fingertips and cringed, realizing that he'd been hit in the head by something, which explained why it felt like it was about to split in half.

"Forget about me how are you feeling? Are you hurt badly?" Troy asked, trying to divert attention away from himself to make sure she was okay.

"I feel like I just got run over by a truck and my head is killing me but otherwise I think I'm alright," Sharpay replied, trying to sound less afraid than she really was.

"Your ear is bleeding," Troy stated, pointing a finger at the side of her head. "Looks like something got you just like it got me."

"Yeah it does," Sharpay said, reaching up to press against her ear to feel blood just as Troy had when he'd checked his own wound.

Looking down at his clothing with an odd expression on his face, he suddenly ripped off a piece of his shirt tail that was hanging out, taking the makeshift rag and placing it against Sharpay's ear to stop her bleeding.

"Thanks," she said, grateful for his concern, equally as worried about him as he was about her. "But you better think about putting one of these on your own injury as well."

Troy nodded and did as she asked, ripping off another piece of the shirt and applying it with pressure just over his eye.

"Do you know where we are?" Sharpay asked, now able to concentrate on their surroundings, just as he had done before she'd come to.

Troy shook his head. "Not really. Only that we're in some broken down one room cabin God knows where. Do you remember anything about what happened to us?"

Sharpay nodded slolwy as a terrible trembling passed through her body that she associated more with fear than being cold.

"We got caught in an avalanche."

_Outside...a quarter of a mile away..._

The youngest members of the group, David, Danielle and Corrine, all thankfully uninjured, were huddled together under a towering Redwood tree, crying uncontrollably and terrified out of their minds.

All around them, grown ups were lying unconscious in the snow. Not a single one among them was moving and the longer they remained that way the more fearful the children became. In the distance, they could see that three of the four sleighs they'd all been riding in had tipped over onto their sides, the horses nowhere in sight.

It had been close to a half an hour since the accident had occurred where a wall of snow and falling rocks had decended upon their group without warning, causing people to jump from the slow moving sleighs and scatter in all directions in an attempt to get out of harms way.

The children now waited anxiously for they had no idea what, when they finally began to see the first signs of movement by a few of their loved ones. An agonizing relief overcame them, and the tears they were shedding from the terror of the unknown, quickly turned to those of hopeful joy.

"Taylor! Taylor!" Danielle and David yelled in unison, as they watched their sister coming to, managing to sit up with a dazed look on her face, unsure of her surroundings.

A few feet away, both Chad and Gabriella began to stir as well, although Zeke, who was in close proxmity to them, remained unresponsive along with the other adults.

"Chad! Chad!" Corrine screamed, suddenly bolting away from the fragile safety of the huddle and racing to her brother's side, where she threw herself into his arms sobbing happily.

"Hey...hey...," Chad said, mommentarily caught off guard by the force of Corrine's terrified hold on him, as he attempted to ease the shaking of her tiny body. "I'm alright. Everything's going to be okay."

"No it's not!" Corrine wailed into his shoulder. "Everyone's mommy and daddy are hurt."

Shaking his head to clear the grogginess from it, Chad took in the scene around him and shuddered. He saw Gabriella next to them struggling to gain her balance as she tried to stand up, and then he spotted an unconscious Zeke. His eyes immediately began searching for Taylor whom was a few yards away holding her head in her hands. Chad's heart leaped in his chest.

"Corrine...baby...I need you to let me go so I can do what I can to help people okay?" Chad said, pulling his sister's arms from around his neck, which was met with resistence.

"No! No! I dont want you to leave me!"

He kissed her forehead tenderly. "I'm not going to leave you I promise. I just want to see if I can help mommy and daddy and all of our friends and I can't do that if I'm holding on to you. Understand?"

The little girl looked up at him with big fearful eyes wet with tears as she slowly nodded her head.

"Unerstand," she said in a quivering voice that broke her brother's heart.

"That's my baby. Now I want you to go back over to where David and Danielle are and not move from that spot until I tell you too okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. I won't be long," Chad said, standing up with Corrine in his arms.

He placed her down on the ground and watched her run back over to where Taylor's brother and sister were, both of whom pulled the girl into their protective embrace once more.

"Chad?" came Gabriella's voice from behind him where she now was on her knees in the snow by Zeke's side. "I think he's hurt pretty badly."

Still watching Taylor from out of the corner of his eye, desperate to get to her, Chad held off on his impusle and went to see about his other friend first. He noted that Zeke didn't look good at all and his breathing seemed to be raspy in nature.

"I think he's got a concussion but I can't be sure," Gabriella said in a shaky voice. "He won't seem to wake up."

Chad had no clue what to do about Zeke but he figured her guess about his condition was as good as any they were going to get for the time being.

"Look...you stay here with him okay? I'm going to see if Taylor's alright and then I'm going to check on our folks."

"You make sure Tay is alright and I'll start making the rounds of our parents since there's really nothing either one of us can do for Zeke right now," Gabriella suggested as an alternate plan, her eyes now searching for any sign of Troy and her mother.

"Okay. Once I know she's okay we'll come help with the others," Chad stated, feeling helpless in the face of all of this unexpected chaos that he wasn't sure how to handle or even that he could.

He then moved quickly to get to Taylor whom he could see was trying to stand on her own, but was falling back onto the snow unable to get her bearings. Chad's need to get to her grew stronger with each step he took until he was finally at her side, where she fell into his arms and they clung to each other just happy to be together and alive.

Gabriella left Zeke's side reluctantly and made her way over to the bodies that were closest...those of Troy, Taylor and Chad's parents, and saw with relief that all of them were beginning to stir, none appearing outwardly injured.

Suddenly, Lisa Danforth shot straight up in the snow and began shrieking like a mad woman.

"My babies! My babies! Chad! Corrine! Answer me!"

Lee Danforth, though still dazed, immediately reached out for his wife and took her into his arms trying to calm her down, as he too began frantically looking around for their children.

Jack Bolton was giving his hand to Lucy who stared at him with eyes of total confusion, as if she had no idea where she was. He took her into a protective hug and began to rock back and forth. Recognition began to slowly set in and they both turned their attention to their surroundings, desperately seeking out signs of where Troy might be as they clung to one another never wanting to let go.

Robert McKessie arose at the sound of Lisa Danforth's screams, filled with unspeakable fear. He began looking around franctically and was relieved when he saw his own wife lying only a few feet away. Then he caught sight of his younger son and daughter in the distance beneath a tree and sighed. His eyes quickly began roaming around to find Taylor whom he was relieved to see cradled lovingly in Chad's arms. Glenda McKessie stirred and called out to her husband softly, which was met by his pulling her close and thanking God that she and their family had been spared from near death.

There was still no sign of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Carla Montez, Vincent, Troy or Sharpay.

When Danielle, David and Corrine saw their parents rousing in the snow, the three children bolted from their place beneath the tree and ran to them with tears of happiness stinging their eyes. The McKessie's and Danforth's clung to their babies now with their own tears of joy spilling forth, while the Bolton's were growing anxious at having yet to locate Troy.

"Gabriella...sweetheart...are you okay?" Glenda McKessie asked, reaching out a hand to the girl once she was at their side, and then pulling her into a hug as well. "Is Taylor okay?"

"Yes Mrs. McKessie. I'm okay. Chad went to take care of Tay. I think she's alright too," Gabriella replied, her eyes still scanning the terrain for any sight of her own mother, Vincent, Troy, Sharpay and her parents.

"And what of everyone else?" Lee Danforth asked, his arm about his wife and daughter. "Carla, Vincent, Zeke, Troy, and the Evans family?"

"Zeke's over there," Gabriella stated pointing a finger in the direction of where her friend still lay unconscious. "I think he's seriously hurt. Possibly a concussion. I haven't been able to find any of the others although they have to be close by as well."

"Robert go and check on Zeke to see how he's doing," Glenda McKessie prompted her husband. "We'll start looking around to see if we can't find everyone else and help those who need it."

"I'll stay here with the children," Lisa Danforth offered, as she could see that Jack and Lucy Bolton were about to lose it if they didn't start searching for the whereabouts of their son.

As the adults began to rise to their feet, they all suddenly heard the sound of an engine approaching. Turning, all eyes caught sight of two large rescue vehicles heading in their direction, honking their arrival as they came.

"Baby look," Chad said, turning Taylor around so she could see what had everyone else cheering...that help had arrived. "Everything's going to be okay after all."

She smiled up at him weakly, her head still swimming with dizziness.

"Do you see Sharpay and Troy anywhere?" Taylor asked, watching her parents and siblings in the distance, grateful that they were alright. "What about Sharpay's folks or Brie's mom and her boyfriend?"

Chad shook his head. "No. I haven't seen any of them yet. But I'm sure we'll find them, especially with a rescue team here to help and take us back to safety."

Taylor leaned into him with a sigh wanting to hold him close forever. "I hope so."

_Back At The Cabin..._

"You doing okay?" Troy asked, not liking the ghostly pallor of Sharpay's skin, as they sat huddled next to one another on the floor beneath the skylight.

She nodded. "As okay as can be. How about you?"

"The same. I just wish I knew how we're supposed to get out of here," Troy stated. "Chances are that nobody knows where we are and even if they did, how are they going to get through all the snow this place is buried under?"

Sharpay looked at him quietly with a pained expression but no reply.

"Come on Evans...help me out here?" Troy implored, wishing for one of her witty comebacks filled with their usual trademark of confidence. "Surely you can humor me with some hope that things aren't as bad as they seem right?"

"I'd love nothing better," Sharpay finally replied. "Hope should never be lost in any circumstance. But I have to tell you Troy this is a pretty big deal for us and I'm not sure how things are going to go."

"So are you saying we've got no chance in hell of getting out of here?" he asked nervously.

"Of course not. Now that my head is a lot clearer I can recall this place from when I was a kid. It was once occupied by an old timer named Mr. Greely. He lived up here for years. I remember my father telling Ryan and me stories about how he saw himself as some sort of mountain man who lived off the land and had no use for people or modern life. We'd even passed this place before during sleigh rides up here in the past. I never saw the man but I remember this cabin of his and how spooky it always seemed to me. I think he died around the time I was 14 or so. Since then, I guess this place has been standing here abandoned until now."

"Do you think there's a chance your father might believe we're in here?" Troy wondered, glad to at least hear that the cabin was known about by someone other than themselves.

"He might or he might not. It depends."

"On what?"

"Well we're pretty close to the vicinity where the others no doubt got caught in the avalanche as well," Sharpay explained. "If our footprints in the snow are still visible, given that there hasn't been any new snowfall since we've been here, then daddy might consider that we sought refuge, remember the cabin's location to where we were last seen, realizes this place has been buried, and figure out where we are."

"And if he or someone else doesn't find our footprints or recall the cabin being here?" Troy asked, trying to calm the fear starting to rise in him yet again.

"Then you and I are will have to figure a way out of this this predicament on our own," Sharpay replied matter of fact. "Otherwise it will be our doom."

_At the rescue site..._

Gabriella, Chad and Taylor all watched silently as a pair of rescue workers strapped Zeke onto a stretcher and loaded him into one of the vehicles, that had now been joined by two others. He still had not come to and it worried them all greatly.

The fear and concern for the whereabouts of Carla, Vincent, Troy, Sharpay and her folks, was growing by the minute. Lucy Bolton was frantic with fear and it took everything in her husband's power to keep her calm, as people spread out in all directions contining to search for the missing members of their party.

Lisa Danforth, Glenda McKessie, and their small children were also being transported back to the house at the insistence of their husbands, who wanted to remain to continue to help look for the others still unaccounted for.

Both women had wanted Taylor and Chad to come with them, but they had declined, stating that they wanted to stay for Gabriella's sake since she was the only one who still had no word on what had happened to her mother and Troy. Their fathers had eached promised to keep an eye on them all, encouraging their wives to take care of the little ones and to make sure that Zeke was well looked after to include contacting his parents as to what had happened.

"I'm scared you guys," Gabriella said in a voice trembling with fear, as she watched Zeke being whisked away along with her friends' mothers and siblings. "The longer it takes to find my mom, Vincent, Troy, Sharpay and her folks the more terrified I become that they may never be fo..."

"Don't say it," Taylor stated, putting an arm around her friend, holding her tightly. "We're going to find them. All of them. You have to believe that Brie."

Chad nodded and put an arm around her too.

"Tay's right. We have to believe they'll be found and will be okay when we do."

"I still can't believe something like this has happened. Not after the past few days. Things were going so wonderfully and now this," Gabriella sighed, tears forming in her eyes as she laid her head against Taylor's shoulder.

Her two friends looked at one another feeling equally helpess and afraid, but determined to stay strong for Gabriella until this nightmare of waiting was over.

Just then they heard someone yell out from in the distance that they'd found something. Turning in the direction of where the three sleighs lay overturned in the snow, they spotted two of the rescue workers waving franctically for assistance. Jack Bolton, along with Lee Danforth and Robert McKessie, all ran toward the call, while Lucy Bolton was left standing alone to hold her breath in fearful ancitipation.

Seeing Troy's mother in such a distraught state, Gabriella left the warmth and comfort of the arms of her friends and went to Mrs. Bolton's side where they embraced.

"Dear God let it be Troy they've found," Lucy said, holding her son's girlfriend tightly against her, before realizing that her remark sounded insensitive since Brie's mother was still one of the missing as well. "I'm...I'm...sorry honey. I should be hoping that it could be Carla too."

"It's okay," Gabriella assured. "I know you want them both to be safe as well as Sharpay and her parents too."

"I do, I do," Lucy stated. "I want them all to be found and for this horrible incident to be over with."

A few feet away, Chad and Taylor stood arm and arm, holding their breath, awaiting news of the discovery that had been made. They watched their fathers lending a hand along with Jack Bolton to help pull two bodies from beneath a mound of snow. At first sight, Chad and Taylor could see from the clothes worn that the ones to be found were Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Now the question was if they were still alive.

"It's Sharpay's parents they've found," Gabriella whispered under her breath, as she felt the hold on her by Lucy Bolton grow tighter. "I hope their alright."

The older woman said nothing, as a storm of emotion raged through her mind in having to accept that it wasn't Troy who'd been rescued. Even though she couldn't see her husband's expression at realizing as did she that their son was still missing, she could feel his agonizing disappointment by his body language and it made her want to scream.

Gabriella, Lucy, Chad and Taylor stood there watching as the rescuers began attemtps to revive Mr. and Mrs. Evans and, shortly thereafter, sighed with relief when Lee Danforth turned and signaled that they were okay with a thumbs up.

"Thank God," Taylor sighed, looking over her shoulder to where her friend and Troy's mother stood clinging to one another. "At least two more have been found okay."

"Yeah...but that still leaves Shar, Troy, Brie's mom and her boyfriend out here in need of help," Chad said, relief and fear in his voice. "Until we find them this nightmare is nowhere close to ending."

"Poor Mr. and Mrs. Bolton and Gabriella," Taylor said helplessly. "This waiting has to be killing them worse than it is us."

"No doubt," Chad agreed. "But we have to keep believing that in finding Sharpay's parents, that there is still hope for the others."

Two of the rescue workers, along with their fathers began to move farther past where the Evans' had been found, who were now being escorted back to where the four of them stood.

When they finally reached the others, the first thing they asked about was Sharpay and if she were okay. Mrs. Evans nearly passed out again upon hearing the news that her daughter was still missing. Mr. Evans looked equally devastated, but managed to hold his composure in tact. He needed to remain calm to give his assistance where he could since he aside from the rescuers was the only other person that knew these backwoods as well as they.

Suddenly, in that moment, two things occurred simultaneously: Gabriella having one of her premonitions in broad daylight that she'd only ever had while sleeping, the other a cry of "Oh no!" from one of the rescuers who now appeared to be standing at the edge of a ravine, which brought Robert, Jack and Lee running like madmen.

Lucy Bolton felt the girl in her arms begin to tremble firecely, as if she already knew what was about to become common knowledge to them all and it filled her with pure undisguised terror.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans noticed the state that Gabriella was in and grew fearful of the expression they saw etched on her face.

Chad and Taylor turned at the sound of a loud gasp from Troy's mother to see the agony their friend was in which troubled them both greatly. Something was terribly terribly wrong.

Robert McKessie began running back in their direction, visibly upset, alerting the waiting group by the look on his face that whatever had been found was anything but good news.

"Daddy! Daddy! What is it?" Taylor cried fearfully when her father arrived, out of breath and struggling with what he had to tell them.

He looked at his daughter with sadness in his eyes and reached out to breifly caress her cheek. Then he turned his focus on Gabriella who seemed to have withdrawn into Mrs. Bolton's arms appearing small and child-like as she waited to hear what her mind knew but her heart wouldn't accept.

"What is it Robert? What have they found?" Mr. Evans asked excitedly, as he clutched his wife's hand bracing for what was yet to be said.

Taylor's father sighed as he leaned down in front of his daughter's best friend, his heart aching for her.

"Gabriella...it's...it's...your mother dear. She and Vincent...they...they...went over the edge of the ravine in the missing sleigh. I'm so very sorry sweetheart. They both are gone."

Everyone in the group gasped in horror. Tears began to fall instantly, as hearts clenched with grief for Gabriella's loss, their minds now filled with even greater fear that the same fate may have befallen Troy and Sharpay as well.

The pretty dark haired brunette looked out upon all the faces staring at her as if they were surreal images to her senses.

The horrific premonition of her mother and Vincent's deaths had been playing out in her mind in real time right up until the moment the actual words were spoken to her by Mr. McKessie. She saw them all standing there trying to reach out to lend comfort, but in the iterim had gone deaf to what they were saying, as if wrapped in a soundless bubble. The truth was still processing itself in her head and had yet to be released from within in the same manner in which was being agonized over internally.

Then...hovered over by those trying to reach out and snap her from the fog of shock she was clearly in, Gabriella startled them all when she opened her mouth and screamed out in a heartbreaking rage and sadness that echoed all around them, "Nooooooooooooo!"

_Troy and Sharpay..._

"What was that?" Sharpay asked looking at Troy with a curious expression. "Did you hear it?"

"Hear what?" He asked, not sure what she was talking about.

"That sound. It was like an echo. Like someone screaming no."

Troy tilted his head to the side to see if he could hear it too but there was nothing.

"Are you sure you heard something?" he asked, thinking that confinement in such closed quarters with waning hope of getting out might be playing tricks on his friend's mind.

"Of course I'm sure which means that somebody has to be close by," Sharpay answered abruptly. "Maybe someone has figured out where we are and they're coming to help us."

Troy looked at her with skepticism.

"Sharpay...I want to get out of here as much as you do but..."

"No buts Troy. I know what I heard. Now the question is how do we let someone know we're in here and alive."

"Good question. Unfortunately..."

His words were cut off in mid-sentence as a faint rumbling began to fill the cabin. He and Sharpay looked at one another fearfully, grabbing hands. They looked around trying to figure out what was happening.

Just then, the noisy rumbling grew louder and before either could say a word, both windows on either side of the front door shattered bringing a rush of snow tumbling inside, causing them to hurriedly back away further into the cabin trying to remain out of its reach.

In that moment, Troy and Sharpay realized that time was running out and their makeshift refuge/trap was faltering under the weight of their snowy captor toward a fate neither one wanted to think about but was nonetheless bearing down on them with each passing second.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

For Gabriella Montez time as she knew it had stopped for the moment.

Upon learning of her mother's death and the immediate attempts to comfort her grief made by her friends and their families, Gabriella's mind fell into a state of protective numbness. From that point forward, she functioned from a place within that cut itself off from feeling and was merely running on adrenaline.

One of the rescue workers had suggested that they put her under sedation and return her to the Evans' home for own well-being, but Chad and Taylor begged against it, stating that the only thing now that was keeping their friend from falling apart completely was her desire to find Troy. It was he whom she'd asked for in those painful moments after learning of Carla Montez' fate and what they were going to do to find him and Sharpay.

So, not wanting to upset Gabriella's fragile state, the adults agreed to allow her to stay under the watchful eye of Mrs. Bolton, who now clung to the young woman as if she were her child. And, although distraught by the unknown fate of her own daughter, Mrs. Evans made the decision to return to the house to check on the others and learn of Zeke's condition.

Robert McKessie volunteered to accompany Mrs. Evans so that there would be a man around to help the women and children if need be, but was reluctant to leave Taylor behind who refused to go without her friends. However, when her father saw the way that Chad hovered over her so protectively and with such devotion to her safety, he knew that no harm would come to her, assured by the promises of the other fathers who were staying to continue the search.

Chad and Taylor then turned all of their attention and focus onto Gabriella whom the mere sight of broke their hearts. They tried to get her to eat and drink from some of the supplies the resuce workers had brought with them but to no avail. All she wanted to do was pace in the snow, awaiting news that someone had finally found Troy. In fact, the only person Gabriella would allow close to her during that time was Lucy Bolton, mostly due to the depth of their mutual love for her son. Not that Chad and Taylor didn't love him too, only that in Gabriella's mind, Troy was all she had left and without him, life as she once knew it seemed pointless. Finding him meant she still had a reason to go on even without the other person she'd loved with all her heart...her mother.

When yet another hour had passed with still no sign of Troy and Sharpay, the rescuers came together back to the point of operations to re-evaluate their efforts and look for any clues that might lead them in a more successful direction. The biggest concern at the moment was the fact that they only had a few more hours of daylight to sustain them. Once that was gone, the resuce would have to cease and begin again the following day, lowering the chances of finding the two teenagers safe and unharmed.

The lead rescue worker decided to go over the events that led up to the groups' encounter with the avalanche, which had been sketchy at best upon arrival, since many had been too dazed and confused in its aftermath to recall pertinent details right away.

Mr. Evans took the initiative to explain what he could clearly remember from the excursion right up until they were met by a wall of snow that had brought uncertainty, fear, and unconsciousness. He recalled how they were all having a wonderful day with no indication of any kind that they were even remotely in the path of danger. He explained how his family had been following this trail for years on sleigh rides and had never once encountered anything of this magnatude.

All had been well until a large grizzly bear had appeared from behind a cluster of trees, almost out of nowhere, spooking the horses and causing them to bolt erratically, setting the sleighs off on an uncharted course through through the woods.

Mr. Evans explained that while they deviated slightly from their normal trek, they hadn't gone any significant distance away from the known trail he'd always used. Once the horses had been calmed and the grizzly was no longer an immediate threat, they had turned around and ventured back toward where they should be and were almost there when the rumbling started and the ground began to shake. That's when all hell broke loose.

In that split second his gut instinctively knew what was about to happen, and he had yelled out to everyone to get free of the sleighs and run for their lives. As commanded, the families began jumping out and running as instructed away from the horrible rumbling, when the wall of snow began tumbling down the mountain, the force of it's impact sending them all flying this way and that. It wasn't until right before he himself had been thrown to the ground, that Mr. Evans saw one of the sleighs on the wrong side of the monsterous snow pack unaware if anyone still remained seated inside. After that everything went black.

Then it was the turn of Lee Danforth and Jack and Lucy Bolton to recall their own details of the event, which more or less coincided with those already provided by their host.

When it came time to hear from Chad and Taylor, both confirmed what the others had stated but, surprisingly, it was Taylor, the girl with the selective amnesia, who actually provided one vital clue that no one else had.

She stated that as she was running away in the opposite direction of the avalanche's impact as instructed, she'd at one point looked over her shoulder and saw Troy and Sharpay running in what appeared to be the the other direction. But because of the chaos and terror that surrounded her, and before she could bring it to anyone's attention, she'd fallen and gone unconscious.

"Are you positive you saw them going away from the rest of the group Taylor?" Sharpay's father asked, feeling the first surge of hope since their ordeal began.

"I'm pretty sure," she answered under the numerous eyes upon her. "It was all so crazy at that moment I can't say with complete certainty that I'm right about what I saw. All I know is that it looked like they were trying to come in the same direction as the rest of us, but the way the avalanche was coming down it caused them to go in the other direction to keep out if its path."

The lead rescuer smiled and patted Taylor on the back.

"That's a good detail to recall Ms. McKessie. It opens up the possibility that we need to re-direct and expand on the locations we've checked so far. Perhaps by going farther in we may have a better chance of locating your friends."

"Do you really believe this information can help us find my son?" Jack Bolton asked, his voice tinged with hope.

"Yes sir I do. In fact, I'm going to call down to headquarters and ask that another team be sent up here along with dogs to help in our efforts. Also, we're going to re-work the maps we've been using and try to put together another area of focus. If your son and Mr. Evans' daughter did in fact go the way Ms. McKessie said, there's a chance they may have found some type of shelter on the other side, as there are all kinds of tiny caves and such in that part of the mountain."

Suddenly a thought came to Mr. Evans, one he hadn't entertained before now.

"There's a cabin," he mumbled, as his mind sought to work out the logistics from their present location.

"What was that sir?" the leader asked, as everyone turned in Mr. Evans' direction.

"I said there's a cabin in that direction. An old abandoned cabin that once used to belong to a man named Morris Greely. It's been empty for years since his death but was still standing the last time we were up here two Christmases ago. If Troy and Sharpay weren't caught up in the avalanche and made it to the other side then perhaps they found their way to it."

Jack and Lucy Bolton looked at each other with tentative hope in their eyes.

Since most of the rescue workers were young and new to the job and territory, many had no clue of the Greely cabin's existence or location. Even the leader was unaware of it. But one of the older members of their team was able to corroborate Mr. Evans' words, having begun to work for the patrol the year before Mr. Greely had passed away. It was what the rescuers needed to hear to pump up their adrenaline and give them renewed determination to find Troy and Sharpay before sundown if at all possible.

_At the cabin..._

Once the small cave-in had passed, the first thing Troy and Sharpay did was look for a way to prevent any more snow from coming inside the cabin.

Looking around at their pitiful offerings, they both agreed that use of the table and mattress were their only options. Placing one each against the windows, they resumed sitting back down on the hard wood floor, as the temperature in the room slowly continued to drop and the coldness of their environment began eating away at the small reserve of body warmth both had left.

Without any food or water to sustain their strength, Troy and Sharpay realized that they would have to at least find a way to keep warm if they had any kind of chance of surviving their ordeal.

Deciding to do some jumping jacks to keep alert and bring up their body temperatures at the same time, they both began bouncing up and down like they were in gym class. It was after they'd done about 25 reps, that Sharpay's foot suddenly went through a plank in the floor, causing her to fall and twist her ankle.

"Damnit!" she cried out, falling face forward before Troy could catch her. "First the windows cave in and now the floor!"

"Easy there Shar," Troy said, helping her to sit down as she grimaced in pain.

Manuevering her foot slowly while trying not to get it caught on the jagged pieces of wood that enclosed it, he suddenly felt an upward draft coming through the opening.

"Do you feel that?" Troy asked, looking at Sharpay. "Air is coming up from somewhere down below."

"Of course I feel that," she snapped irritably. "My foot is the one that's caught isn't it?"

"Do you know what that means?" he continued, ignoring her frustration which she had every right to feel.

"No Troy. What does it mean?"

"It means that your foot didn't hit a hard surface below. It means that there is an opening underneath where you're sitting at and it's allowing air to come up through it."

"And your point is?" Sharpay asked, not in the mood for guessing games.

"My point is that this place isn't entirely sitting on a firm foundation. Maybe there's a tunnel or something down there."

Sharpay laughed in her annoyance. "A tunnel? Are you serious Troy Bolton?"

He nodded and began scanning the floor where she sat, looking for evidence of his theory. His eyes picked up on an outline of what appeared to be a trap door of some kind.

"Look!" Troy said, pointing his find out to Sharpay, who suddenly realized that where she was seated had the look of some sort of hatch or cut out in the floor.

"Well imagine that," Sharpay said, impressed by this bit of dectective work on her friend's behalf. "I never even noticed it before now."

"Neither did I," Troy admitted, a feeling of hope coming over him. "Let's finish getting your foot out and then see what's down there."

Once Sharpay was free and clear, she scooted back from where she was sitting. The outline was even more prominent to the eye now, indicating that the piece of floor was movable and didn't require a hook or latch to pull it up.

Taking hold of the opening her foot had produced, Troy raised the section of flooring and peered down into the darkness.

"Can you see anything?" Sharpay asked, leaning forward to watch what he was doing.

Luckily for Troy, the area of floor he'd removed was positioned a little to the left of the skylight, which allowed some form of visual as to what he was seeing. The first thing that caught his eye was a rope ladder hanging on the side of what appeared to be a tiny man-made chamber.

"There's a rope ladder down here," he said, straining to see to it's end. "I don't think it's a tunnel. Looks like some sort of ..."

"Some sort of what?" Sharpay asked excitedly, ignoring the pain in her ankle that had already begun to swell.

"A storage area or maybe even a pantry," Troy replied. "I can almost see to the bottom, barely, but can't make out what's down there. I'll have to climb in to be sure."

"You can't do that," Sharpay warned, not liking the idea of his going into some hole in the ground he might not be able to get out of. "What if you get stuck or something? Then what would happen to me?"

Troy laughed. "Glad to see you're so concerned for my well being Shar."

She laughed too. "I'm sorry. That did sound selfish didn't it?"

"It's okay. I know what you meant. Anyway, I'd at least like to see what's down there. Who knows what I might find. Besides, it isn't all that deep."

"Who cares if it's deep. The question is is it safe?"

"Sharpay...you and I are trapped inside an abandoned old cabin up in the mountains after running for our lives from an avalanche that we hope to God hasn't wiped out our families and friends, and you're worried about my being safe in a hole the size of a Porta-Potty?" Troy asked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Okay fine. Just promise you'll be careful while you're down there and if it doesn't feel right come back up immediately," Sharpay ordered more out of fear for his safety, than her usually tendency to be bossy.

Troy laughed, shook his head, and then proceeded to climb onto the rope ladder and make his way down into the semi-darkness below. It took him less than a minute to reach the bottom. He looked up Sharpay who was looking down from up top.

"Just like I figured...it's some sort of pantry/storage area. You can't tell when you're up there but it's way more room down here than you'd expect. Not a lot mind you but enough to move around a little."

"What's down there? Can you make it out clearly enough to tell?"

Troy strained his eyes trying to focus in on what few things he could see with the faint amount of light afforded him. He reached out a hand onto one of the few makeshift shelves and began to feel his way around the outline of an object that it took him only a few seconds to realize felt like a lantern.

"Hey Shar, does this look like a lantern to you?" He called, holding it up for her inspection.

"That's exactly what it is!" She exclaimed excitedly at the prospect of them possibly having some better lighting. "Check around and see if you can find any matches to light it with, that is if it still works."

Troy moved his hand slowly along the shelf and to his surprise found a small box of what he believed were matches after shaking the contents against his ear.

"What are these?" he asked, holding them up to the faint light.

"Matches!" Sharpay cried happily. "Hand them and the lantern up to me and I'll see if we scored a miracle or not."

Troy did as asked and then went back to his scavenger hunt. A few minutes later he climbed back up into the room to find Sharpay and the lantern seated on the floor, both looking battered and defeated.

"What's wrong?"

"This stupid thing has no oil in it so it's useless," she pouted, appearing as if she were on the verge of tears.

Troy gave her a tiny smile, reached into his pocket and handed her a small container. Sharpay took it and when she saw that it was lantern oil, she wanted to to throw herself in his arms with happiness.

"Great!" She exclaimed. Maybe now we'll at least have some decent light in here. Did you find anything else?"

He shook his head and went to sit down beside her as she put oil in the lantern. The matches were nearly unusable but after striking about five of them, one sparked a flame and much to their surprise lit up the lamp, bringing a stronger glow of light into the room.

"This must be how the cavemen felt when they first discovered fire," Troy joked, glad to see some of the tension ease in Sharpay's still too pale face.

She laughed in spite of the pain in her ankle and the rumbling of her stomach that was beginning to ache with hunger.

"Too bad you didn't find any food down there," Sharpay said disappointedly, able to see him much clearer now, as the light overhead began to signal that early evening was approaching by the dim shadow it barely cast.

"Nope. No real food...but I did find this..." Troy said, reaching a hand into his other pocket and pulling out a bar of chocolate and an orange.

"Where did that come from?" Sharpay asked, looking at the candy as if it were filet mignon. "You just said there was nothing to eat down there."

"There wasn't. These are what's left out of my Christmas stocking, which I happened to clear out right before we left this morning. I nearly forgot they were on me until just now," he answered, breaking off a pice of the chocolate and handing it to her.

Troy couldn't help but smile at the way Sharpay gobbled down the chocolate like it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

"I guess this is as close to a Christmas feast as we're going to get," she said dejectedly, shivering a bit from the draft coming up through the floor. "Lois probably prepared something really special for all of us for when we came back from the sleigh ride. Now it's all going to go to waste."

"I just hope that everyone else is alright...Brie, Chad, Zeke, Taylor...our folks," Troy said, suddenly focusing on something other than the dangerous situation he and Sharpay were in. "I know if they are then they have to be looking for us, no doubt worried out of their minds that we might be hurt or worse."

Sharpay nodded silently, her thoughts suddenly turning to Zeke, wishing that she were wrapped in his arms in front of a roaring fire, laughing and talking with their friends and family like they'd done the night before. Now she wasn't sure if she and Troy would make it out of their predicament or if she would ever see the people she loved again and it filled her with an overwhelming sadness.

Sensing the turn in her mood, Troy scooted closer to where Sharpay sat, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"We're going to be okay Shar. You'll see," he said, trying to sound optimistic, but feeling every bit as scared as she. "We just have to hang on until help arrives."

"And what if it doesn't?" she asked, tears starting to form in her eyes. "What if this is it for us?"

Not knowing what to say her, Troy simply held Sharpay a little tighter to him, and silently prayed for the miracle they needed to save them.

_Back at the resuce site..._

As the day began to wind down and the temperature dropped with every passing second, Taylor's fears for the safe return of her friends continued to grow.

Now leaning against one of the resuce vehicles, shivering under the brutal cold, she watched as Chad stood talking to his father, Troy's and Mr. Evans a few feet away, the four of them looking as tired and worried as she. Taylor glanced behind her through the windshield of the vehicle, where she saw Gabriella and Mrs. Bolton in the front seat, her friend's head laying against the older woman's shoulder, eyes vacant and lifeless.

Just then Chad began walking back in her direction, while the other three men went over to speak with two of the resucers to get an update on the progress being made by those who'd gone further past the point of the avalanche's impact in search of any visible signs of Sharpay and Troy's whereabouts.

When he reached her side, Taylor fell into his arms with a sigh.

"I love you," she said weakly, the tears she'd been holding back all this time threatening to finally come.

"I love you too," Chad whispered against her ear, wishing he knew what to do to stop her trembling.

"We aren't going to find them are we?" Taylor asked, sure to keep her voice low so their conversation couldn't be overheard by Brie and Mrs. Bolton.

"I don't know baby. I honestly don't know. We've only got about another half an hour of decent light left and then..."

"Then what?" Taylor demanded fearfully.

"Then, according to my dad, the rescue team is going to have to pull in for the night, as the conditions up here will be to difficult to try and continue the search."

"No Chad no," Taylor gasped. "We can't leave Troy and Shar up here alone all night. What if they are hurt or something? They have no food, no water...how are they suppose to survive?"

Chad shook his head in answer.

"I don't know Tay. They are still saying that there is a possibility that Troy and Sharpay may have found some type of shelter which may help them make it until tomorrow. Aside from that it's anyone's guess what will happen."

"Do you think we should tell this to Mrs. Bolton and Gabriella?"

"No," Chad replied. "Troy's dad asked that we not say anything just yet until we get the final report of the day on where things stand from the head of the rescue team which should take place in a few."

"I still can't believe this is happening," Taylor said, her voice heavy with sadness. "It's Christimas for God's sake. How can fate have been so cruel as to take Mrs. Montez and her friend away on what was supposed to be a happy occasion for us all, and leave us not knowing if two of our best friends are dead or alive?"

"I wish I could answer that but I can't," Chad stated truthfully. "All any of us can do right now is pray that Troy and Sharpay are somewhere out here still okay and that we'll find them first thing in the morning."

Suddenly, in the distance, they heard the barking of the rescue dogs and shouts from a few of the rescue team who were about a quarter mile away from where they were standing. Chad and Taylor watched as his father, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Bolton raced off in the direction of the commotion, holding their breath as they hoped and prayed that someone had found a clue as to where Sharpay and Troy were.

Mrs. Bolton stuck her head out of the rescue vehicle and stared down at them with questioning eyes.

"What's going on? What's happening?"

"We don't know," Chad replied nervously, his heart aching at seeing the worry and pain on the older woman's face. "If I had to guess I think someone may have found something to help us locate Troy and Sharpay. At least it seems that way."

"Dear God let it be so," Mrs. Bolton said, as she strained to see what was taking place off in the distance.

The wait to find out what was happening seemed much longer than it was. When Coach Bolton, Mr. Danforth and the rescue team members finally began approaching where Chad, Taylor, Mrs. Bolton, and Gabriella were holding vigil, none of them knew what to expect.

When his father was only a few feet away, Chad left Taylor's side and rushed over to him excitedly. Mr. Evans and Coach Bolton were right behind.

"Well dad, what's going on? Did you guys find out where Troy and Sharpay are? Is the rescue operation closing down for the night? What?"

Lee Danforth patted his son's shoulder wearily, as the rest of the search party began to arrive as well.

"It seems that two sets of footprints were found in the snow Chad. The rescuers believe they belong to Troy and Sharpay."

"Footprints!" Taylor exclaimed happily. "That's great."

"Maybe, maybe not," Lee said, not wanting to get anyone's hopes up. "The point is that it means the two might have done as the team leader suggested and found some type of shelter to stay safe in. However, with the light fading the rescue efforts are being put off again until tomorrow morning."

"No!" Lucy Bolton shouted, jumping out of the vehicle and running to her husband after overhearing the conversation between Lee and Chad. "No Jack! They can't leave my baby out here by himself all night."

Coach Bolton did his best to soothe his wife, even as his own heart raged with conflict. Gabriella peered out at the group of people now milling about and putting away equipment, her eyes searching desperately for the one she loved.

"Where's Troy? Why haven't you brought him back to me?"

Lee, Chad and Taylor turned at the sound of Brie's agonized voice.

"They're trying dear, but it's still going to take some more time," Mr. Evans explained, moving toward the distraught girl. "Unfortuantely, we are running out of daylight and it is remaining too dangerous for any of us to stay up here."

"Dangerous!" Gabriella suddenly screamed, her grief and exhaustion clearly about to push her to her breaking point. "Dangerous! My mother is dead, one of my best friends and the boy I love are still out here missing and you say it's getting too dangerous for us? I'm not going anywhere until we find Troy. Do you hear me! No where!"

Gabriella then climbed down from the front seat of the rescue vehicle looking half-crazed when, to everyone's surprise, she simply collapsed in the snow going limp as a rag doll.

Taylor and Lucy Bolton both gasped and raced to her side, as did the medic who took a moment to check her vital signs and then informed the group that Gabriella had merely passed out from the shock and needed to be taken indoors immediately.

Putting her back inside the rover with Mrs. Bolton holding her hand, Chad and Taylor climbed in as well as they watched the rescue team finish loading up their gear on the other vehicles, while they made plans to meet back at the same location at sun up the very next day.

Mr. Evans and Coach Bolton were gripped with fear for the safety of their children, but they knew there was nothing more any of them could do, and could only pray that in the morning Troy and Sharpay would be found alive and unharmed.

When they were finally ready to depart and began making their way back to the Evans' home, Taylor and Chad both looked over their shoulders out the window back toward where their friends might be somewhere behind a wall of snow, begging God with all their hearts to keep them safe until they could get to them the following day.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

When Chad, Taylor and the others finally returned to the house just before nightfall, the first thing they noticed upon entering the foyer was how somber and un-holiday like everything seemed. It was almost as if Christmas had never happened.

Gone were the beautiful sights, sounds, and smells that had greeted them that morning and in turn had sent them on their way to a day of adventurous fun. All had now been disbelivingly replaced by a dark forboding that held not one ounce of cheer, and hung over every corner of every room and every heart within them.

Taking Taylor's hand in his to fight off the air of gloom surrounding them all, Chad walked her into the living room where they were greeted by their waiting mothers who rushed to their sides with hugs, kisses and prayers of thanks for their safe return. A moment later Robert McKessie appeared and grabbed his daughter in a tight embrace, holding her as if he never wanted to let go. However, their brief reunion was cut short by a pang of guilt, as they all watched Jack Bolton bring an unconscious Gabriella into the house and immediately take her upstairs to the room she shared with Taylor, his wife close behind.

Mia Evans felt their pain and worry, as she arose from the couch and dealt with the hopelessness she saw on her own husband's face upon entering the room, indicating that their child was still just as lost to them as was Troy to his parents. Fighting back the urge to scream, she stood their listening as Charles Evans relayed the events of that afternoon, their inability to locate the missing teens, and their hopes for a renewed rescue effort the following day at first light. The Danforths and the McKessies both offered their support and encouragement that Troy and Sharpay would be alright, doing their best to not allow anyone to give up hope when there was still a chance that both could be found alive and unharmed.

Then the discussion turned to Zeke, who had been transported to the local hospital for treatment. Lisa Danforth reported that he'd suffered a mild concussion but would be alright and that she'd spoken to his parents by phone who would be returning to the country as soon as they could get the next flight out from their present location.

Soon after they all began to speak of the terrible tragedy that had befallen Carla and Vincent and the enourmous loss all had suffered from it, none greater than Gabriella herself. However, the adults didn't feel comfortable discussing all the particular indepth details with Chad and Taylor still in the room, and suggested that they go upstairs, change clothes, and rest for a while. Reluctant to leave but knowing it was pointless to argue against it, they both did as they were told.

Once on the upper landing, they decided to check on their younger siblings whom they found lying together quietly subdued on the bed in Glenda and Robert McKessie's room, pajamas on, watching TV, with a tray of half eaten soup and sandwhiches sitting on the nightstand beside them.

After making sure the children were as well as could be expected, Chad and Taylor went to check on Gabriella. However, upon opening the door to enter the room, they immediately found themselves slowly backing out, after catching sight of a distraught Lucy Bolton sobbing in her husband's arms uncontrollably while their friend lay still and fragile in her bed.

Guiding Taylor away from the unnerving scene, Chad led her down the hallway and into the room he shared with Troy, closing the door behind them where they fell into each other's arms and let their own sense of grief overtake them.

Sometime later, both went back downstairs for a bite to eat but tasted none of it. They explained to their parents how they were too tired to even think about food and that all they wanted was to go to bed and get some rest so they'd be able to help with the search for Sharpay and Troy the following day. Agreeing that it had been a long and emotionally difficult day for them all, the McKessies and Danforths wished their eldest children good night, as they went back to discussing the current situation with the missing kids, the death of their friend, and the decisions that would have to be made about her child.

Charles and Mia Evans had already retired to their room, as a migraine had gripped Mrs. Evans during dinner, sending her straight to bed. Jack Bolton had disappeared into the billard room trying to find something, anything to take his mind off the fact that his son was still lost outside to the elements without food or water but hopefully shelter at least. Lucy Bolton hadn't left Gabriella's side since the moment they'd gotten back, and she planned to sit with her through the night just in case she awoke and needed something or someone.

This decision prompted Taylor to check on her best friend once more with no change in her drug induced condition, sadly gather her night clothes, and then return to Chad's room where she intended to sleep without asking her parents' persmission if such would be alright. If they found out or had a problem with what she was doing they would just have to deal with it in the morning.

After both had taken showers at Chad's suggestion to help them relax, they changed into their sleeping attire, turned off the lights and climbed into their respective beds. Lying there in the darkness without saying a word, they each let their thoughts drift over the events of the day while praying that their friends were found safe tomorrow and that they'd be able to help Gabriella get past the enormous amount of grief she would face in the days, weeks and months that lie ahead.

Then, right before Chad was about to drift off to sleep, he suddenly moved the covers aside and waited. A few seconds later he heard the soft padding of footsteps and then felt the weight of Taylor's body on the bed beside his. Pulling the blankets up around them both, he waited for her to snuggle in close and rest her head against his shoulder before wrapping his arms around her with a sigh as both drifted off to sleep thankful they had each other to make it through the night with.

_The Cabin...Just Before Daybreak_

Troy awoke with a start, trembling and bathed in sweat. Looking anxiously around the cabin he tried to shake the nightmare of his own death from his head and was only able to do so when he suddenly caught sight of Sharpay curled up in his arms, head against his chest looking peaceful and child-like.

At first, he worried that something was wrong since she hadn't awakened from his sudden abrupt movement but, after carefully checking her pulse and breathing, realized that she had simply fallen into a deep sleep. Relieved that his friend seemed alright, he waited until his nerves had settled back down and then, after taking a deep sigh, allowed his thoughts to drift to Gabriella.

God only knew what state of worry she had to be in right about now along with his parents and Sharpay's, not to mention Chad,Taylor and everyone else. Who knew what they all must be thinking. More importantly though, was whether or not anyone had managed to put the clues together of where they were and be able to find them before it was too late.

Smiling weakly down at Sharpay's face as she clung to him like a teddy bear from childhood, Troy wanted to laugh at the irony of how they looked in that moment.

Once upon a time, the girl in his arms would have done anything to have him hold her like this all close and snuggly, and had done many things in the past to try and bring such a situation about. How funny it was now for her wish to finally have come true only for it to mean nothing more than a gesture of survival that depended on them sharing body heat in sub-freezing temperatures and nothing more, as she loved Zeke as much as he loved Gabriella. How truly sad it would be to have come this far and grown so much as friends and finally have found the two people they were meant to be with only to lose it all on some desolate mountain far from home.

Sighing, Troy closed his eyes and let the smile that stole his heart long ago in another snowy setting fill his thoughts and tug at his heart. He didn't know how much longer he and Sharpay could last under these conditions, but they both had to fight to stay alive to get back to the ones they loved and made life worth living. For the love of Gabriella and Zeke they had to hold on as long as they could.

Stirring slightly against his chest, Sharpay mumbled Zeke's name in her sleep, as she clutched tighter onto Troy. He again smiled through his fear, cold and hunger and gently stroked her hair like a protective big brother.

"We're going to make it Shar," he whispered softly. "We have too. There are people we love who need us and we can't let them down."

_Daybreak...6:00 a.m._

The first thing that Chad noticed when he awoke the following morning, was that Taylor was no longer beside him in bed.

Sitting up with a yawn, he wondered if she'd left in the middle of the night but couldn't be sure since both had fallen into such a deep sleep. Not that it mattered really. All that was important now was getting up and dressed, ready to head out to once again try to find Troy and Sharpay.

Climbing out of bed, Chad rubbed the last of the sleep from his eyes and slowly made his way to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later he was heading downstairs to see who else was up and was surprised to find everyone but the kids awake. Mr. and Mrs. Bolton and Mr. and Mrs. Evans looked terrible to say the least, but it was understandable and Chad wondered if any of them had managed to get any sleep at all.

Greeting his own parents with hugs and kisses, he waved good morning to the McKessie's and then smiled when he saw Taylor sitting next to them.

"So I guess we're all ready to do this thing then?" Chad asked, taking a place in the chair beside his girl who squeezed his hand under the table.

"Yes we are," Mr. Evans replied, pouring himself another cup of coffee. "The rescue team should be arriving any minute."

"Good because I'm ready for us to find Troy and Sharpay as soon as possible."

"We all are son," Lee Danforth said, reaching for a danish from a large platter in the center of the table.

"Except for you and Taylor," Robert McKessie announced, turning to his daughter who was now staring at him, mouth agape in surprise.

"Why not us daddy?" Taylor asked.

"Because sweetheart, we need you and Chad to stay here and look after the kids and help Lucy, Mrs. Bolton, tend to Gabriella," her mother replied before her father could respond.

"But...but...I want to go with you," Chad protested at the change in plans he had for himself that day. "I want to be there when you find Troy and Sharpay."

"We know you do," Lisa Danforth spoke up. "But it's more important that the little ones are taken care of and made to feel safe after everything they went through yesterday. Not to mention poor Gabriella who will need to be surrounded with love and attention following what happened to Carla. You and Taylor would be doing so much more to help by staying put and allowing the rest of us to lend a hand with today's search instead."

Chad sat back in his chair with a disappointed sigh.

"I know this isn't what you want sweetie, but it's already been decided and there will be no discussion about it as our minds are already made up," his mother continued, knowing how frustrated and powerless he felt in that moment.

Taylor attempted to squeeze his hand again to show him that she understood and empathized, as she had wanted to go along as badly as he did, but Chad pulled away from her touch and got up from the table to go sit in the livingroom by himself.

"He'll be fine," Lee Danforth reassured his wife with a pat on the back as he watched their son walk away in annoyance.

"Is there anything special you need for us to do while you're all gone?" Taylor asked, trying not to let Chad's sudden change of mood affect her own.

"Not really sweetie," her mother replied. "We don't know when Gabriella is going to wake up or what she'll need when she does. However, as far as the kids are concerned, they just need to get up, get dressed and time spent with them trying to take their minds off of unplesantness. Watch TV with them, play games, run around in the snow...just give them something to do to keep them busy until we get back. Lois will take care of seeing that they have breakfast and lunch."

"Sure...we can do that," Taylor said, looking out into the livingroom where Chad sat staring at the fireplace.

Suddenly the doorbell rang causing Mr. Evans to leap out of his seat.

"The rescue team is here everyone. Let's get going."

He leaned down and kissed his wife, who was staying behind, promising to let her know the minute they found Troy and Sharpay. Jack Bolton did the same with Lucy who told him to be safe and to tell their son how much she loved him.

Taylor hugged her parents good-bye and promised to do as they had asked, while Chad was a bit more reluctant at first to be cooperative over his mother and father's departure, but eventually let his anymosity go and said that he would take care of everyone and be the man they needed him to be in their absence.

After they all had gone, Mrs. Bolton and Taylor went upstairs to check on Gabriella, while Mrs. Evans made phone calls to Ryan in Las Vegas and the hospital to check on Zeke, whom she was pleased to hear was making a speedy recovery.

Chad continued sitting in the livingroom for a short time, still trying to get over the fact that he wouldn't play a part in the rescue of his friends, when his sister, Corrine, came downstairs and crawled up into his lap. Unklike when they were at home, on this particular morning her normally sunny disposition seemed to be absent. Just seeing her precious little face staring up at him wide-eyed yet without that million dollar smile, snapped him out of his momentary funk and made him want to do whatever it took to bring it back once again.

"Hey munchkin," he said, tweaking her nose and then pulling her into a hug. "Lets say you and me go into the kitchen and ask Lois to make us some of her special pancakes for breakfast, then go wake up the other two sleepy heads and figure out what fun things we're going to do today while the folks are gone. Okay?"

The smile Chad adored slowly began to appear as Corrine nodded her head in agreement. For some reason, upon seeing that light of love and innocence spread across her face, he was suddenly filled with hope that everything was going to be alright.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

After looking in on Gabriella who was still fast asleep, then closing the door behind them, as both now stood in the hallway, Taylor turned to Lucy Bolton and suggested that she go to her room and try and get some rest if she could.

It was obvious from her outward appearance that Troy's mother was on the verge of total collapse. The dark circles under her eyes were evidence of her all-night vigil at Gabriella's bedside, in addition to the emotional exhaustion she had to feel with so much worry about her son gripping both her heart and mind.

Taylor longed to ease the older woman's burdens even if only for a while, and promised emphatically that she would come to get her if there was any news concerning the rescue or when Gabriella finally woke up. Too tired to argue and knowing that Taylor was right, Lucy Bolton agreed to do as was being asked of her without hesitation and made her way back to her room. Then, after she was gone, Taylor went to see about her brother and sister whom she needed to get out of bed, dressed, and fed per her own mother's instructions.

Twenty mintues later, all three of the McKessie children headed downstairs for something to eat, where they were greeted with smiles by Chad and Corrine who were seated at the dining room table awaiting their arrival, as Lois emerged from the kitchen carrying a platter of waffles, syrup and bacon.

As the kids began to dig in hungrily, Chad signaled to Taylor to go with him into the livingroom to talk for a moment to which she nodded in agreement, making the little ones promise to eat their breakfast and behave in their absence.

When the two were finally alone in the other room, Chad took Taylor's hand in his and then pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry baby for the way I acted earlier," he whispered against her ear. "I didn't mean to take my frustration over the change in the search plans out on you."

"I know. It's okay," Taylor replied, returning his embrace. "You were just caught off guard by the whole thing and thought you'd be apart just like we were yesterday."

Chad pulled back just a bit, arms still around her waist and nodded. "Yeah, I did and it's killing me now that I'm stuck here when I feel like I could be doing so much more to help Troy and Sharpay."

"But you are helping," Taylor stated, reaching up to caress his cheek lovingly. "Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Bolton both need us to watch over them right now, as do the kids and Gabriella. You and me together are making it possible for the others who are out there searching for our friends keep their focus on what they have to do without worrying about what's going on back here."

"You're right," Chad said with a sigh. "I just wish that I didn't feel so helpless."

"Well you'll just have to get over that and remember what's important at the moment which are my brother and our sisters who need us to be upbeat for their sakes."

"I hear you."

"Good," Taylor said, leaning in to give Chad a quick kiss on the lips. "Now lets go eat some breakfast."

_Up On The Mountain..._

As had already been planned out the day before, the rescue team returned to the spot where they believed the Greely cabin to be located in the hopes that if it could be found that Troy and Sharpay would be inside.

Out came all matter of excavation tools to work through the wall of snow that stood between the team and discovery, which had to be soon because without food or water for the last 24 hours the chances for survival were growing extremely thin should the two teenagers still be alive.

_Inside The Cabin..._

It was the horrible ache of hunger twisting her stomach into knots, that finally awoke Sharpay from sleep and forced her into the reality of the ordeal she shared with Troy, whose arms she realized she'd been lying in when her eyes fully opened.

"Good morning sleepyhead," she heard her friend say in a teasing voice, while struggling to sit up. "I thought you were going to sleep the whole day away."

"Very funny Bolton," Sharpay replied, as she attempted to stand up but suddenly stopped all movement when a sharp stab of pain from her swollen ankle shot through her brain causing her to grimace.

"It still hurts pretty bad doesn't it?" Troy asked, noticing the look of shock on her face, which had gone even more pale in the last few seconds.

"Yeah it does," Sharpay admitted in frustration. "I really hope it isn't broken."

"Naw...just looks like a bad sprain. I've had plenty of them from playing basketball all these years and I can tell the difference."

"Well thanks for the diagnosis Dr. Troy. I feel so much better now."

"Don't mention it."

"Did you say it was morning?" Sharpay asked, wanting to take her mind off both her hunger and pain.

"Yeah I did," Troy replied. "At least I think it's morning. Sort of hard to tell in here but the amount of time we've been confined makes me think so."

"Well I hope you're right because that will mean that my father and yours are probably out there somewhere right now continuing the search to find us."

_Back At The House..._

After breakfast, Chad took the kids outside to play with a promise from Taylor that she would join them shortly after she checked on Gabriella and the two mothers who still remained at the house.

Stopping outside Mrs. Evans door, Taylor was about to knock and enter, but decided against it when she heard the sound of soft crying from the other side and thought it best to leave her alone for the time being.

Next she went to see about Mrs. Bolton who, much to her relief, had taken the advice given and was now asleep.

When Taylor finally arrived at the room she shared with Gabriella she hesitated from going inside for a moment, as the sadness within for her best friend's situation tightened its grip around her heart. Although she felt bad for both Sharpay and Troy's parents and what they all must be going through they, unlike Brie, still had hope to hang onto that the ones they loved might still be returned to them. It was quite a different story for the dark haired beauty who had become an orphan in the blink of an eye.

Sighing, Taylor slowly opened the door and then immediately panicked when she didn't see Gabriella lying bed as had been the case all the other times she'd been looked in on in the last 12 hours.

"Brie?" Taylor called out softly, as she stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. "Are you in here?"

At first there was no response and then, a few seconds later, Gabriella emerged from the bathroom looking like death warmed over with her tousled hair, pale skin and vacant eyes. Taylor gasped but quickly composed herself .

"How are you feeling?" she asked, watching her friend shuffle across the room to look outside the window. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

Gabriella silently shook her head, as she pressed her forehead against the cool glass and closed her eyes. Taylor watched her with apprehension as she went over to her own bed and sat down.

"How long have I been out?" Gabriella finally asked, turning around to face the concern for her which filled every corner of the room.

"Since early yesterday evening," Taylor replied, watching her carefully. "One of the medics gave you a sedative on the ride back to help you sleep."

"You mean to help me forget don't you?" Gabriella stated in a weak yet accusatory voice. "As if that was going to happen."

Taylor didn't know what to say and just sat there looking as lost as she was sure her best friend felt. There was a moment of awkward silence between them, before Gabriella approached the bed and sat down. Taylor tentatively put an arm around her friend's shoulder which at first was met with stiff resistence, as if being touched was painful. Then Gabriella sighed tiredly and leaned into her friend until her head was resting against her shoulder.

"What's going to happen to me now Tay?" she asked in a tiny voice filled with sorrow. "My mom is gone and now...if they can't find Troy...I'll be all alone in the world."

Taylor threw her other arm around her friend and held her tightly, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Don't say that Brie. You will never be alone. Never. You'll still have me, Chad, Ryan, Kelsi, Jason and if found Troy and Sharpay too. Not to mention our folks as well. You've suffered a terrible terrible loss and none of us will ever be able to replace what you shared with your mom. But you will always have a family Gabriella. You will always be my sister and we will always be family no matter what."

With those words, the last of the trance-like state which had Gabriella in its hold, disappeared and the floodgates of emotion were unleashed once again, as she began to heartwrenchingly sob in the arms of her friend, who rocked her back and forth as she prayed to God that he at least bring Troy back to her.

_Up On The Mountain..._

Troy was the first one to hear sounds somewhere outside that made him sit up and take notice that something was happening.

Within the last few hours, both he and Sharpay were growing noticeably weaker due to a lack of food and water. All either had been able to do was huddle together on the cold wooden floor to keep their body temperatures from plummeting them into hypothermia, as they talked about their lives, school, and the people they loved the most...friends and family. It was if they were in some way making peace with themselves should they not be found and this was their final time on this earth. Both were scared to be sure, but they did what they could to keep the other's mind off of the impending doom that hung in the air and tried to make the best of an increasingly bad situation.

But...now...something was going on that had Troy's instincts and hearing on high alert. He looked at Sharpay with hopeful eyes while thinking to himself that maybe they weren't out of the game just yet.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, standing up, his eyes turned toward the door.

"Hear what?" Sharpay inquired, wanting to get up as well but prevented from doing so by the throbbing in her ankle.

Troy walked over to the door and pressed his ear against it hoping that he wasn't starting to have hallucinations and imaging something that wasn't there. He closed his eyes and listened intently for that unknown sound that had caught his attention. All was quiet for a moment and then he heard it again. It sounded like the bark of a dog.

"That! Did you hear that!" Troy exclaimed, turning excitedly to his friend who was looking at him like he might be slowly losing his mind under their perilous conditions.

"I don't know what you're talking about Troy and frankly you're starting to scare me," Sharapy answered, worry in her eyes.

"It's a dog barking Shar. I can hear a dog barking somewhere outside."

"A dog? Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure. I mean...it sounds really faint and all, but it definitely sounds like a dog barking to me," Troy stated.

Blocking out the pain she was experiencing, Sharpay suddenly forced herself up off the floor and hobbled over to where Troy stood.

"Can you hear anything else?" she asked anxiously. "Anything at all?"

Troy closed his eyes again and strained to pick up anything else he could hear outside the walls of their snowbound prison. The barking still remained which was a positive sign but then something that sounded like the hum of a motor broke through, causing him to look at his friend and smile.

"Shar! Shar! I can hear what sounds like a motor. Sort of like a car engine!" Troy exclaimed excitedly.

"A motor! Are you kidding me?" Sharpay squealed, now leaning her own head and ear against the door to hear this possible miracle for herself. "Oh my God! It does sound like a motor...and I can hear the dog thing too!"

"See. I told you."

"Yes, you did," Sharpay admitted happily. "Forgive me for ever doubting you."

"Oh forget that. It's not important. What we need to do now is let whomever is out there know that we're in here," Troy stated, suddenly filled with a burst of adrenaline he didn't know he still had in him.

"And how do we do that?" Sharpay asked, unsure of what he had in mind. "There is still a huge wall of snow between us and the outside world."

"Simple. We start screaming our heads off until they hear us like we hear them."

And with that as their game plan, Sharpay and Troy started yelling at the top of their lungs hoping it would bring an end to their nighmarish ordeal and reunite them with their loved ones...

_Outside The Cabin..._

It wasn't until after several feet of snow had been excavated away and the machinery being used for its removal had been silenced for a moment, that Charles Evans and the rest of the rescue team suddenly heard what sounded like faint cries for help.

Looking at everyone with the first glimmer of renewed hope, he smiled and pointed a finger at the still imposing wall of snow.

"Can you hear that? Can you hear it? That sounds like someone is calling out to us from behind there to be found!"

"It does! It does!" Jack Bolton exclaimed excitedly, throwing down his shovel and moving closer to the sounds that had everyone's ears perked and lisenting. "That's Troy and Sharpay. I know it is!"

Agreeing with this assessment but still unsure as to how far in they still needed to dig before the two teens could be located, the head of the rescue team instructed everyone to concentrate their efforts on the precise location from which the sounds were coming from and to do so quickly. What he didn't mention was that he noticed shifting in the snow had begun again. If they didn't hurry to find an opening with which to pull Sharpay and Troy out from and soon, they might very well find themselves in the middle of another avalanche that would likely crush the structure already burdened and under pressure by the snowpack in which it was encased.

_Back At The House..._

After lying in Taylor's arms and crying her heart out for a time, Gabriella was finally able to regain some of her composure again. At her friend's suggestion, she decided to take a shower, get dressed, and come downstairs to get something to eat while they continued to wait for news on Troy and Sharpay.

A short time later, just as the girls were coming down the stairs, Chad and the children came bursting through the front door laughing and covered with snow. When they caught sight of Gabriella their cheerfulness quieted for a moment.

"Hey you guys, looks like you've been having a good time," Taylor said, not wanting the awkardness of the moment to linger.

"Yeah...we have," Chad replied. "We were starting to get a little cold so I brought everyone in for some hot chocolate."

"Well your timing is good because I was just taking Brie into the kitchen to see what Lois could make for her to eat."

"Hey Chad," Gabriella said weakly under his gaze of concern.

"Hey Brie. How are you feeling?"

She shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

"Not all that good but I'm still breathing so I guess that counts for something."

"It counts for everything," Chad said, going to his friend and taking her into his arms where he gave her a warm hug. "You're going to be alright. Taylor, I and everyone else is going to see to it."

Gabriella sighed against his shoulder. "I just wish we would hear something about Troy and Sharpay."

"We will. It's just going to take a little time but you have to believe they are going to be found."

"It's all I have left to believe in," Gabriella stated somberly.

"Then hold on to that with all you've got," Chad whispered against her ear.

Gabriella pulled away from his embrace with pain filled eyes.

"You know in spite of what I'm going through right now, I don't want you to think that I don't know how hard this is on everyone else. You and Taylor love Troy and Sharpay as much as I and their parents do and this has to be difficult for you both as well."

"True but knowing that none of us has to go through any of it alone is what makes it bearable. Right Tay?" Chad stated, glancing over at Taylor as he held out a hand to her.

"Right. Remember...we're all in this together no matter what happens. That's what family is all about," Taylor said, joining them both in a hug.

Just then their moment was interrupted by the ringing of the phone in the living room, causing the three of them to all turn in its direction. It stopped, indicating that Mrs. Evans must have picked up from the extension in her room and they waited with baited breath for whatever news was yet to come. Suddenly, there were the sounds of shouts and screams as they heard frantic running up above and the pounding on the door of the room where Mrs. Bolton had been sleeping, telling her to wake up.

When Chad, Taylor, Gabriella and the children all looked up the stairs, they saw the mothers of their friends both racing down toward them wearing smiles of joy, as tears of relief streamed down their faces.

"They found them! They found them!" Mia Evans shouted as she and Lucy Bolton clutched one another's hands. "Troy and Sharpay! They found them and they are safe!"

"They're okay?" Gabriella asked in a voice of disbelief. "They're really okay?"

"Yes dear, they are really okay!" Lucy Bolton exclaimed.

And in that moment joyful pandemonium broke out as everyone began hugging and crying at the news they'd been waiting to hear for what seemed like forever.

Gabriella, upon realizing that the boy she loved was coming back to her even though she still had the grief and loss of her mother wrenching at her heart, looked at her best friends, managed a weak smile and then fainted in both their arms.


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Huddled together protectively in the backseat of the SUV now carrying them home to their family and friends, Troy and Sharpay listened in thoughtful silence as both their fathers recounted the events of the last 24 hours, culminating in the announcement of Carla Montez's death and that of her companion.

Upon hearing of Gabriella's tragic loss and in spite of the happiness they felt at knowing everyone they loved had survived in the aftermath of the avanalche's fury, the two friends were overwhelmed by a gamut of mixed emotions made even more vivid by their own personal ordeal which had left them physically drained and mentally exhausted.

Laying her head against Troy's shoulder while taking his hand at the same time, Sharpay gave a weary sigh as the flood of tears she'd been holding back first from fear, then joy, and now sorrow, suddenly spilled forth. Looking down at her with affection and tenderness, Troy closed his eyes and thought of nothing else but his desperate longing to get to Gabriella as soon as possible, whom he knew needed him now more than ever.

_Back At The House..._

When Gabriella finally opened her eyes after fainting in the arms of her best friends, she found herself lying in bed once again, with Taylor standing across the room quietly staring out the window in anticipation of Troy and Sharpay's return.

Sitting up as she shook off the last remnants of dizziness, the pretty brunette cleared her throat, startling her closet friend out of her concentration and making her turn in Gabriella's direction with a smile of relief.

"Brie! You're awake!" Taylor exclaimed, immediately rushing to her side where both girls embraced. "Are you feeling alright?"

Gabriella nodded with a sigh. "Yes Tay I'm fine. I guess the shock of hearing about Troy and Sharpay must have been more than I could handle, even though it's what we've all been praying for since yesterday afternoon."

"It's understandable," Taylor stated, happy to see that some of the sadness in her friend's eyes had lessened slightly. "We've all been emotional wrecks for the most part but it's only natural given what you've been through more than any of us that it would affect you that way."

A flash of her mother's smile entered Gabriella's mind and before she could stop herself the tears began to fall.

"Oh Tay why is this happening to me?" she cried in frustration. "How can I feel such agonzing sorrow over losing mom, yet feel such happiness in knowing that Troy is coming back to me?"

"It's just how life works," Taylor replied thoughtfully. "Your mother meant the world to you and now she's gone. Troy is the boy you love with all your heart and just when you thought you'd lost him God gave you and he a second chance. I honestly don't know how you could feel other than the way you do right now."

"You're right I suppose," Gabriella stated sadly. "It all just feels so wrong and right at the same time and it's very unsettling."

"I know it is sweetie. It's probably going to feel that way for a long time to come. But like I told you before...you're not alone in any of this. We're all your family and we'll be here to get you through no matter what."

"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have you, Chad, Mrs. Bolton and everyone else watching out for me," Gabriella replied gratefully. "Who knows what state I'd be in right now."

"Well luckily you'll never have to find out since none of us are going anywhere," Taylor said with a loving smile. "Remember...Wildcats forever."

"Forever," Gabriella repeated softly, as she wiped away her tears for the moment.

Just then the two girls heard the sound of horns honking, causing both to leap off the bed and run back to the window where they saw two black SUV's pulling into the driveway down below.

"It's them! It's them! Troy and Sharpay! It's them! Come on!" Gabriella screamed excitedly, grabbing Taylor's hand and pulling her toward the bedroom door.

By the time the two of them made it down to the livingroom, the group of family and friends were already caught up in a tearful reunion that seemed to fill every room in the house with a symphony of non-stop nosie. Both Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Bolton were clinging to their daughter and son vowing never to be without either one again, while Chad's parents were hugging and kissing he and his sister and Taylor's parents were doing same with her younger siblings.

All chatter suddenly ceased at the sight of both girls, as everyone's focus fell upon Gabriella who, in that moment, saw and heard nothing and no one except Troy, as if time itself was standing still. He gave her a tiny smile, his eyes filled with joy and pain, which she returned in kind, their hearts speaking to one another without words. Then Troy slowly opened his arms to her invitingly and Gabriella ran into them as one would do at the sight of home.

Seeing them hold onto to one another as if nothing else mattered, brought tears and sighs to the eyes of those around them as everyone shared in their emotionally bittersweet reunion.

"I'm so happy you came back to me," Gabriella whispered into Troy's ear, who answered her by tightening his arms about her petite frame. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you too."

"You will never lose me. I love you too much to ever let that happen," Troy whispered back, silently vowing to himself that they would never be parted again.

"I love you too," Gabriella replied softly, not caring that every pair of eyes in the room were watching their exchange.

The two of them stood there like that for several more minutes, before they again took notice of the others and ended their passionate embrace. Then Gabriella made her way over to the couch where Sharpay was lying with her ankle propped up on pillows and welcomed her back with a warm hug, as the conversations in the room resumed once more.

Shortly thereafter, a doctor arrived at the house to examine Troy and Sharpay to ensure that neither one needed hospitalization. He also brought along word on Zeke's condition, which all were happy to hear was improving greatly and would allow his return the following day.

While the physician was tending to his daugther's severely sprained, yet thankfully unbroken ankle, with Mrs. Evans close by, Mr. Evans received a telephone call from Ryan, who was ecstatic to hear that his sister and friend had been found and that Zeke would be okay. He informed his father that he, Kelsi and Jason would be arriving later that afternoon on the family jet from Las Vegas but wanted to go by the hospital first to see about Zeke before coming to the house. Mr. Evans agreed to his son's plan and promised to have a car waiting for them at the airport.

Once the doctor had finished up with Sharpay who, aside from her ankle was suffering from a slight case of hypothermia and dehydration, he went to see about Troy as Gabriella and Jack and Lucy Bolton looked on in quiet concern.

Meanwhile, back downstairs, Chad and Taylor both spent some much needed quality time with both their families, as they all awaited word that Troy and Sharpay were all in the clear.

Twenty minutes later the doctor, along with Mr. and Mrs. Evans and Mr. and Mr. Bolton, came down to the livingroom to announce that neither patient required anything more than plenty of rest and a hot meal, and that by the following day both should be back to their old selves again.

Happy to hear that their friends were truly alright, Chad and Taylor fell into a hug, which was interrupted by Mia Evans who informed them that Troy and Gabriella were now in Sharpay's room and were asking that they come and join them.

A few moments later, Chad and Taylor were up on the second landing, knocking at their friend's bedroom door, which was opened by Troy who ushered both inside as if they were entering some type of secret clubhouse.

For the next half an hour or so, the group sat around talking about the ordeals that been faced over the last 24-hours. Troy and Sharpay spoke about how at times they were nearly convinced that they were going to die locked inside their snowy prison, while Gabriella, much to everyone's surprise, spoke on what she was going through now with the loss of her mother and what that meant for her future.

By the time Lucy Bolton came upstairs to let them all know that Lois had prepared a lavish meal and that everyone was to meet in the dining room 10 minutes later, the five friends had laughed, cried and held each other several times over.

Troy, Chad, Taylor, and Sharpay had all solemnly promised to be there for Gabriella in every way to help her get through the loss of her mother no matter what. They also talked about Zeke coming back from the hospital the next day, as well as the arrival of Ryan, Jason and Kelsi, which Sharpay saved to tell until the very last minute. None of them could still completely believe how such a memorable vacation and on Christmas no less, had gone so terribly wrong, changing all their lives both good and bad forever. In comparison to what they'd gone through during senior weekend, the events of the past two days had rattled them all to the core and made each even more grateful for the deep bond of friendship that they shared.

_Later That Evening..._

After everyone had had their fill of the even more than usual delicious array of foods that Lois had presented for their enjoyment in celebration of Troy and Sharpay's safe return, they all went about finding ways to relax both body and mind from the exhausting stress that had plauged them over the last 48 hours.

The little ones wanted to go back to their video games and TV, while the adults decided it was time to enjoy the soothing benefits of the indoor jacuzzi. Sharpay all but locked herself up in her private domain, called Zeke on the phone, and told him how much she loved him before they talked for what seemed like hours on end. Troy was anxious to spend some real alone time with Gabriella who was trying to keep it together but was clearly on edge. Sensing that she needed him all to herself, he took her back to his room, where they climbed into bed fully clothed and he allowed her to cry her heart out yet again before both fell asleep wrapped in each others' arms. It was the same for Chad and Taylor as well, who found their way into one of the intimately private upstairs dens with a cozy fireplace already in progress. They snuggled up on the love seat which faced the window and gave them a magnificent view of the town across the lake, as they counted their blessings for being alive, in love, and having each other.

_The Following Day..._

It was a little past 10:00 a.m., when the first of the houseguests finally emerged from their bedrooms and made their way down to breakfast. By 10:30 a.m., everyone was seated in the dining room except Sharpay, whose ankle was still too painful for her to walk on.

The main topic of discussion was whether or not the guests thought it best to end their vacation now, pack up their things and head back home, or to say as planned until New Year's.

At the moment, everyone's greatest concern still remained with Gabriella and what would become of her upon their return. Mr. Evans had placed a call to her mother's attorney to find out the details of Carla Montez's will and the provisions she'd left pertaining to her daughter's welfare in case of her demise, but he had been informed by the office staff that the person he needed to speak with would not return until January 2nd. Thus, for the time being, Gabriella was the responsibility of all the families present and would remain so until the legalities of her mother's wishes could be obtained through counsel.

Then there was Zeke whom Mrs. Evans had learned after contacting the hospital that morning, would be ready for release that afternoon. His own parents weren't expected back in the country until the end of the week so he too, like Gabriella, was under the care of all the adults present.

After additional discussion of these matters, as well as the reminder that Ryan, Jason and Kelsi would be arriving that day, it was decided by majority vote that they all stay put for the time being, reinforced even more when a short time later it was announced over the TV that a blizzard would set in later that day making air and road travel virtually unthinkable for the next 24 hours. And so, by vote and mother nature, the Danforths, McKessies, Boltons and Evans all made plans to settle in for the duration and do what they could to enjoy the remainder of their holiday.

An hour or so after breakfast, Ryan called to say that he, Jason and Kelsi had made it in safely and were now at the hospital visiting Zeke, whom was ready to be discharged once the proper adult authority to do so had been given. His parents were contacted by phone and gave permission for their son to be released into the care of Charles and Mia Evans. This information in turn was provided to Ryan who stated that he, Jason and Kelsi would bring Zeke with them to arrive back at his family's home shortly. When Taylor went up to tell Sharpay the good news about her boyfriend, the first thing she did was hobble into the bathroom to take a shower, the pain in her ankle be damned. Then she proceeded to look for the cutest outfit she could find to put on because there was no way she was going to be looking like anything but a million bucks when the guy she adored walked through her front door.

It was close to 1:00 p.m., when the SUV carrying Ryan, Kelsi, Jason and Zeke finally pulled up into the Evans' driveway, just as the forecasted change in weather suddenly began to rear its ugly head.

Troy, Gabriella, Chad and Taylor had been sitting in the living room playing cards when they heard car doors opening and the sound of laughter coming from outside. Getting up to let everyone in, the four friends stood huddled in the doorway as the temperature seemed to have dropped 10 more degrees, waving to Jason, Kelsi and Zeke to hurry inside. From what they could see through the back tinted windows of the vehicle, Ryan was still sitting inside and it appeared that he was talking to someone.

"Hey guys," Kelsi said, throwing her arms around her girl friends in a cheerful hug. "Boy, I sure did miss you."

"We missed you too Kel," Taylor said, looking over Kelsi's shoulder, as her curiosity as to what Ryan was doing continued to grow.

"Hey Kel," Chad and Troy waved in unison, just as Zeke and Jason approached and the four of them traded manly hi-fives.

"Dude, you finally got out!" Chad said, happy that his boy was finally back from the hospital. "Lois has been missing you something fierce."

Zeke smiled. "Oh has she? And what about my girl, Sharpay?"

"Why don't you go on upstairs and see for yourself," Troy suggested with a teasing smile.

"That's exactly what I plan to do," Zeke laughed, before turning to Gabriella and scooping her up into a gentle hug. "Hey Brie. It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too Zeke. Sharpay is going to be so happy that you're finally home again."

"You know it!" Chad chimed in, as he too now, just like Taylor, grew increasingly interested in what it was that was taking Ryan so long to get out of the SUV and come speak to them all.

"So Kel, Jason, how was Vegas?" Taylor asked.

"Oh Vegas was a blast," Kesli replied giddily. "I've never had such an outrageous time in my life. I can't wait until we all turn 21 and go back there together."

"That much fun huh?" Troy wondered, as he too let his attention begin to wander in Ryan's direction.

"Yep, that much fun," Jason stated with a nod.

"Ummm...guys...why isn't Ryan getting out of the car?" Gabriella finally asked, knowing it was the question on everyone's mind. "Is everything alright?"

Jason, Kelsi and Zeke looked at one another and smiled.

"Yeah Brie, everything's fine," Zeke said. "He's just preparing a little surprise is all."

"A surprise? What kind of surprise could possibly take this long?" Chad asked, now more anxious than ever to find out what was going on.

"Oh you'll see," Kelsi replied in a rather mysterious way.

Just then, Mia Evans appeared at the doorway.

"Kelsi. Jason. Zeke! You all are finally here," she said with a smile. "I was hoping you all would make it before the storm set in. Where's my son? Where's Ryan?"

"Hello Mrs. Evans," Kelsi said. "Ryan's in the car getting something but he'll be right out."

"Oh. Well...why don't you all come inside now. It's starting to get really cold out here. I'll have the staff come and retrieve your things from the car. All of you can have your little reunion in the livingroom where it's nice and warm. Zeke? Are you okay."

"Yes Mrs. Evans. I'm fine. Thank you."

"Well we want you to stay that way, which is why I think you all should come in."

It was at that moment, that the back door of the SUV opened and Ryan climbed out wearing a huge smile, waving to his mother and friends who all waved back.

"Hey everyone," he called. "How's it going?"

"It's going fine," Troy called back. "Hurry up and get over here so we can take a look at you."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Ryan laughed. "Just had to make sure my big surprise was ready is all."

"What surprise?" Mia Evans asked, anxious to find out what her son was up too.

Her answer and that of Taylor, Chad, Troy and Gabriella was something that none of them ever expected, as they watched Ryan lean into the back of the SUV and extend his hand, which reappeared with the last person in the world any of them ever thought they would see...

"Oh my God!" both Taylor and Chad gasped in disbelief.

"No! It can't be!" Troy said in a voice filled with complete and utter shock.

"This can't...this can't be real," Mia Evans mumbled, not sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or not.

Jason, Kelsi and Zeke looked around at the stunned group with smiles of total satisfaction on each of their faces. They turned their eyes in Gabriella's direction to see how the surprise was affecting her and saw that she had tears streaming down her face although she had yet to say a word. Then with a heartfelt cry that broke the spell of awe and brought the entire house running, she screamed out in pure joyful excitement.

"Mom!!!"


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

In the split seconds just prior to Gabriella running across the snow-covered driveway and into the arms of the woman who resembled her beloved mother, she stopped to wonder if what she was seeing was real and true or merely a vivid hallucination born from her grief. Perhaps, after everything she'd been through in the last few days, her mind had finally lost its grip on reality and was seeking to project a miracle too unbelievable to be true.

Turning hesistant eyes to the friends who surrounded her, Gabriella desperately searched their faces for the confirmation she sought that she wasn't dreaming or worse, losing her mind, and was relieved when she saw that all of them were standing there smiling at her with tears in their eyes as they nodded for her to believe in the impossible. Then she felt Troy take hold of her hand and give it an encouraging squeeze before he leaned into her ear and whispered, "It's okay baby. It's real."

That was all that Gabriella needed to hear as she pushed aside her lingering doubt and raced across the driveway and into Carla Montez' waiting arms, where mother and daughter clung to one another with kisses and tears in a joyous reunion that neither one wanted ever to end.

Soon thereafter, when both were finally able to pull back from their embrace that seemed to have gone on forever, the group of onlookers rushed from where they had been standing awestruck in front of the house and descended upon them clamoring for details explaining how Carla had survived her horrific ordeal, ultimately escaped death, and how it came to be that Ryan, Jason, and Kelsi were the ones to deliver her back to her family and friends.

_A Short Time Later..._

Once the initial onslaught of overwhelming emotions had calmed long enough for everyone to return to the house, everyone gathered anxiously in the livingroom with baited breath to hear the story which Carla Montez had to tell of what had happened to her over the last two days.

She began by reliving the moments just prior to the avalanche, how happy and carefree they all had been during the sleigh ride, and how she never imagined the peril any of them would soon be in or that her own life would be in jeopardy. She spoke of the fear that consumed her the minute the horses began to bolt at the onset of the mountain's trembling, the impending danger it signaled, and how neither she nor Vincent realized their fate until it was too late to stop it from happening, all while her only thought was that for her child's safety.

Sitting at her mother's side, holding her close, Gabriella and the others listened in silence while Carla recounted what it felt like to lose sight of everyone as the massive wall of snow descended and then to feel herself free falling through the air as the sleigh went over a ledge with Vincent still inside. Just thinking of the terror that he must have felt in those last moments of his life, sent a chill through Carla and caused fresh tears to spring to her eyes which Gabriella was quick to try and comfort away.

Once her mother had regained enough of her composure to continue, she spoke of how she knew that she too was surely going to die as well, until her fall through the sky was cut short by an abrupt landing followed by a length of unconsciousness that could not be determined. Carla stated that the next thing she became aware of was the feel of something cold and wet upon her face. Although barely able to open her eyes, she came to realize that it was a dog hovering over her accompanied by the sound of faint voices in the distance calling it's name. She recalled wanting to cry out for help but that the words wouldn't come and she eventually slipped back into darkness.

Later, when she awoke yet again, there were people standing at her side, asking her name and if she were hurt but all she could do was nod and mumble what she believed was Gabriella's name, before she succumbing to unconsciousness once more.

It wasn't until the following day, that Carla opened her eyes fully and with complete comprehension to find herself in a hospital bed overhearing doctors talk about how lucky she was to be alive with no major injuries. They were pondering what to do as she had no identification on her person to tell them exactly who she was and where she'd come from, and it was in that moment that she startled them by speaking for the first time since being found. Giving them her name, Carla advised that she, her daughter, and a group of others were guests in the home of Charles and Mia Evans. She then procceded to explain about the sleighing excursion and subsequent avalanche, which ultimately led to her being hospitalized after God had seen fit to spare her life and providing the miracle which led to her being found.

After hearing her story, the doctors told Carla that she could be released from their care as she had suffered no major harm from her ordeal, and that they would be happy to contact the Evans family to let them know she was safe and to arrange to have her taken back to their house as soon as she was ready to leave. However, she declined their offer, preferring to make the call herself and that's when she was discovered by Ryan, Kelsi and Jason who had arrived at the hospital to visit Zeke and ultimately ended up bringing both of them back home.

By the time Carla Montez had finished taking those she loved through her rollercoster of events, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Then on cue like always, Lois appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray of champagne and sparkling cider so that family and friends could toast to what had to be the greatest Christmas miracle any of them had ever experienced in all their lives.

Over the course of the next few days, everyone regained their holiday spirit and brought the entire house alive with the happiness, smiles and laughter with which they had arrived. Once again the children ran around playful and carefree while the adults took full advantage of the peace of mind and relaxation that they were now free to enjoy in the aftermath of the crises that had nearly claimed three among them. Food, drink and music flowed freely once more, and there was an air of thankfulness and gratitude in everything that was said and done by all as nothing and no one was taken for granted not even for a moment.

To celebrate the many miralces and blessings that had taken place which eventually brought Zeke, Troy, Sharpay and Carla back to the fold, and to honor the even deeper commitment to family and friends that had become the mantra of everyone in the house, Charles and Mia Evans decided to expand on their plans for their annual New Year's Eve party and make it a standout event to remember.

On the morning before the big party, Taylor was awakened by the wonderful sensation of tiny kisses all over her face and when she opened her eyes, found Chad standing over her bed wearing one of his delicious smiles she loved so much.

"Come on sleeping beauty it's time to get up," he whispered into her ear, as she yawned and then giggled at the warmth of his breath against her skin. "You've got a date with a hot guy who refuses to take no for an answer."

Taylor laughed. "What in the world are you doing up so early? Not even the birds have cracked open an eye yet."

"I know. Isn't it great? We can be up and out before anyone in the house even wakes up and notices we're gone," Chad replied with a devilish grin.

"But why now?" Taylor asked, pushing back the covers and sitting up in bed. "Can't we at least wait until the sun comes up?"

"Nope. That's all part of the plan," Chad advised leaning over to kiss her bare shoulder where the strap from her night gown and fallen down. "Now either you get up right now and go get dressed, or I'll be forced to have my way with you for sitting there and looking so darn sexy. I never told you...but...girls with bedhead really turn me on."

Taylor shook her head with a smile. "You're a mess you know that? An absolute mess."

"That I am," Chad agreed with a mischevious wink. "Which is why it is your job to tidy me up when need be. So get your cute behind from that bed so we can be out of here before anyone knows we're gone."

"Well all I can say is that it's a good thing Gabriella is sleeping in her mom's room or else she'd probably be blushing from ear to ear after listening in on this rather racy conversation so early in the morning," Taylor laughed, throwing back the covers.

Once she stood up tousled haired and still sleepy eyed, Chad pulled her into his arms, gave her a quick kiss and then gently pushed her in the direction of the bathroom.

"You've got 15 minutes to meet me downstairs McKessie. Don't be late."

Doing as she was told Taylor went to get ready, while Chad left the room with a knowing smirk on his face.

After she had taken a shower and dressed, Taylor made her way downstairs where Chad was eagerly waiting for her to arrive. Without a word, he took her by the hand and whisked her out the front door into the cold pre-dawn morning before she could ask any questions. They walked around to the back of the house where Taylor saw that one of the snowmobiles was waiting for use, a medium-sized thermal picnic basket attached to the back.

"And what is all of this?" she asked, giving Chad a look of total curiosity."

"You'll see," was his reply as he climbed onto the snowmobile and instructed her to do the same.

Sliding in behind him, Taylor wrapped her arms around his waist, as Chad started the engine and slowly pulled off. Ten minutes later they came to a stop a short distance from the house to a private vista overlooking the lake and the town beyond.

"What are we doing up here?" Taylor asked, as Chad dismounted with a smile and went to retrieve the basket on the back of the snowmobile.

"I thought it would be a great idea if you and I had a sunrise breakfast together, just the two of us," he stated, motioning her to follow his lead.

"You want us to have a picnic in the middle of winter?" Taylor laughed. "Something wrong with us sharing a plate of pancakes in a nice warm kitchen instead?"

Now it was Chad's turn to laugh. "Not at all. I just thought it would be romantic for you and I to spend some quality time, share some food and watch the sun come up together is all. Any objections?"

"None at all," Taylor said shaking her head, pleased that he'd gone to so much trouble just to be alone with her. "I just hope we don't freeze to death out here."

"We won't," Chad promised, as he pointed to a tiny structure a few feet away that looked like an over-sized phone booth.

"What is that?"

"It's an observation rest stop. Ryan told me they are all over the place. Somewhere that skiers and hikers can take a break, get out of the cold and catch the view from where ever they might be."

"Well isn't that a clever idea," Taylor stated, impressed that Chad had done his research before dragging her out into the elements before the light of day.

"Yeah it is. They even have their own little heaters to warm you up while hanging out."

"Then what are we waiting for," Taylor said, rushing past Chad to see this special convenience for herself.

Once they were inside the cozy little booth which was a lot warmer than either had anticipated, Chad began unpacking the goodies that Lois had prepared for their enjoyment. As he handed Taylor a thermal mug filled with white hot chocolate, the first sign of sunrise began to peak through the sky and over the mountains. In minutes, streaks of golden sunlight emerged announcing the start of a brand new day.

Sighing as nature's beauty unfolded before her eyes, Taylor snuggled closer to Chad, as she sipped her drink and took a blueberry muffin being offered from his hand.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said, head laid against his shoulder contentendly. "It really means a lot that you would do something like this for me."

Chad smiled. "I didn't do this for you Taylor. I did this for us. After everything that has happened this past week we both needed to spend some time together away from everyone else and just enjoy being with one another."

"Well whatever the reason, I'm just happy to be here," she replied, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"Me too," Chad stated, returning a kiss to her forehead.

For a while they sat quietly in each other's arms, enjoying the quiet solitude that made it seem as if there was no one else in the world but them. They remained that way for a time, but then began talking about the big party set for the following night and how good it would be to finally get back home and, surprisingly school as well. Both were looking forward to returning to their normal routines and discussed everything from Chad's resuming basketball practice with the hopes of the Wildcats winning a second championship in a row, while Taylor was excited about preparing for the academic decathalon, prom, and graduation. They also discussed their plans to marry and acknowledged that they still had to keep their engagement a secret from their parents until they had everything all worked out to defend against the protests they knew would be forthcoming.

The only thing that slightly concerned them both was the fact that Taylor still had yet to regain her memories. Chad worried that she might not be as up to resuming her life as she thought, and she worried that he might be right, even though she pretended for his sake to have everything under control and could handle whatever obstacles that needed facing as long as they were together.

It was nearly 8:30 a.m., when they finally packed up their things and headed back, hoping that everyone else was still asleep to avoid answering questions as to where they had been all morning. When they pulled up to the house, and after parking the snowmobile, Chad took Taylor into his arms and kissed her so passionately it made her head spin.

"What was that for?" she asked nearly breathless and smiling.

"That was for loving you as I do and for spending such a wonderful morning together," Chad replied happily.

Taylor laughed. "Well thank you Mr. Danforth. I feel the same way."

"You better. After everything that's happened to us all this past week, I don't want you doubting for a minute that my present and future isn't all about you...about us."

"I could never doubt that Chad. Being loved by you is probably the best thing that has or will ever happen to me," Taylor stated wholeheartedly. "I don't think there are any two people as lucky as you and me to have each other and the family and friends that we do."

"Agreed."

Just as they were about to fall into another kiss, the back door leading to the kitchen opened up and there stood Sharpay with hands on hips.

"Well it's about time you two showed up. Thank goodness Lois let us know where you had gone before the folks woke up or they might have sent a search party out after you."

"Good morning Sharpay," Chad and Taylor laughed in unison.

"Oh don't good morning me while you both stand there looking like two lovestoned fools. We've had enough disappearing acts around this house to last a lifetime."

"We didn't disappear...just went for a little outing is all," Taylor explained, smiling at the mock outrage on her friend's face.

"Well whatever your excuse, the important thing is that you are back now with the rest of us where you belong," Sharpay continued to chastise. "And not a moment too soon."

"Why is that?" Chad asked, grabbing the picnic basket from the snowmobile, as he followed behind Taylor to the house. "You just said that the parents have no clue that we were even gone."

"Whose talking about the parents Danforth? I'm referring to the fact that it is the day before New Year's Eve and we still need to go into town and do some serious shopping so that we can look amazing for the party tomorrow night. All the best sales are taking place as we speak and if you and Taylor had waited any longer to get back here we were sure to miss them all."

"Oh that," Chad said, rolling his eyes. "How could I have gotten my priorities so screwed up?"

"I have no idea but the sooner you get your buns in here the sooner we can leave for town," Sharpay stated as her friends came up the back steps and into the house.

When they were standing face-to-face with Sharpay in the kitchen, Chad and Taylor looked at one another and then to their friend's surprise, both leaned in and kissed each of her cheeks.

"In case we haven't told you Shar...it's great to have you back and acting like your old self again," Taylor laughed. "Now how soon before we leave because I'm dying to find something sexy to wear to ring in the best New Year yet!"


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

It was just after 10:00 a.m. when Sharpay and Ryan, both driving two of the black SUV's on hand for their family's use during their stay in Tahoe, pulled into the biggest and best mall in town, ready to do some serious damage in preparation for the big New Year's Eve party the following night.

Parking side-by-side in the nearly filled parking lot, the guys piled out of one vehicle and the girls the other, and then they all came together in a group to layout their game plan for hitting the stores in the least amount of time so they could make it back to the house for dinner at 6:00 p.m.

After strategy had been coordinated and couples kissed and said their goodbyes, Sharpay, Taylor, Gabriella, and Kelsi ventured off in the direction of high-end retail, while Ryan, Chad, Troy, Jason, and Zeke made their way to the food court before deciding which of the countless stores offered them the least amount of drama at a reasonable price.

It had only been 10 minutes or so since each group had gone their seperate ways, before Sharpay let out one of her classic squeals and rushed into a pricey fashionata haven called Le Femme with the rest of her entourage in tow.

Grabbing a red hot leather mini-dress from the first rack through the door, she rushed off to the dressing room without a second look back, leaving Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi to fend for themselves, as they laughed at how predatory Sharpay was when it came to elevating shopping to a art form.

A few minutes later, each of the three girls had found something they liked and were heading toward the dressing rooms to try them on, when Sharpay stomped past them and over to the sales counter to complain about quality and fit of the ensemble, which had prompted her entrance into their store in the first place.

"Oh lord, there she goes," Gabriella said shaking her head with a snicker, instantly feeling sympathetic toward whomever was working the floor at the moment. "I hope that poor salesperson can calm her down before Sharpay causes too much of a scene."

"One can only hope...but lets pray for them anyway," Taylor laughed, going into her own private booth as did Kelsi.

They emerged shortly for inspection and opinion, and decided immediately upon veiwing the others' choice in outfit that maybe this particular store wasn't really right for their individual styles and that they needed to continue their search for the perfect outfits that truly suited who they were. Sharpay of course was still at the counter badgering whom appeared to be the store's manager with demands for alterations and even a price cut, which brought her friends to her side with apologetic looks to the one on the receiving end of her semi-tirade.

"Come on Shar. Let's go to another store and see if we can't find something more us," Gabriella suggested, taking her friend by the arm, practically tugging her away in mid-sentence.

"But...but...I want this dress Brie," Sharpay protested, even as Kelsi and Taylor were helping to push her out the door before things got too much more out of hand.

"Why don't you hold that for her until we come back this way," Gabriella called out over her shoulder with a smile. "She may not even still want it once we've done a thorough sweep of the entire mall."

The pretty young manager nodded at the requst as she took the dress and hung it up on a rack behind her, silently grateful that the blonde shrew had friends who were far more reasonable than she.

Once outside the store, Sharpay shook Gabriella's hand free, sighing in expasperation.

"Why did you do that Brie? I nearly had that girl right where I wanted her."

Gabriella laughed. "And where might that be? A mental hospital? For all your ranting and raving you're lucky you didn't have that girl on the verge of a nervous breakdown before her day even got good and started. Is that how you want to start off the New Year? Bringing emotional harm to others?"

"Very funny missy," Sharpay snapped indignantly. "Clearly you don't understand what it takes when you are dealing with these high-end retailers. You have to put the fear of God aka loss of their commission into them the minute you walk through the door, or they're liable to take full advantage if they can."

"You're joking right?" Taylor asked in surprise. "You can't honestly believe that terroizing that woman for the sake of a dress that really wasn't all that great to begin with is worth your practically starting World War III over?"

"Who says it wasn't great?" Sharpay demanded, hands on hips. "From what I could see that was the best item in the store, and yet even then it wasn't up to my usual standards."

Gabriella shook her head with a sigh. "Look Sharpay. I know that this party is a big deal for you. It's a big deal for all of us. But if this is how you plan on behaving for the rest of the day, you might as well count me out."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you acting as if 72 hours ago you and Troy weren't trapped in a cabin fighting for your lives, not knowing if you would ever see your family and friends again. I'm talking about you not showing the proper respect or appreciation for having had your world of comfort and priviledge restored to you when the same can't be said for others. Even though my mom and I are back together, she still lost a friend to the very same mountain that nearly took you and Troy away from us and could have killed Zeke as well. The last thing I want is to stand by and watch you throw a silly hissy fit over some stupid dress that you'll wear only once and then discard like yesterday's trash."

Taylor and Kelsi gave each other a knowing look and then turned to watch as Sharpay's face drained of color from the bluntness of Gabriella's stinging words of truth. For a moment there was an uncomfortable silence that hung in the air over the group of friends. Then Sharpay reached for Gabriella's hand with a sobering expression of reality hitting home.

"I'm sorry Brie," she apologized, feeling as if she'd been slapped in the face. "I honestly wasn't trying to be a jerk. I was just...just..."

"You were just being your old self is all," Gabriella finished for her. "But after everything you've been through...we've all been through...it isn't good enough anymore Shar. Life's too short and what we all have too precious to waste on being petty over some silly over-priced outfit."

"You're right. I should never have made such a big deal over nothing," Sharpay conceded, suddenly feeling very small and incredibly shallow. "Can you forgive me?"

Gabriella smiled. "Of course I can. As long as you promise to be on your best behavior for the rest of the afternoon."

Sharpay sighed. "I promise."

"Good. Now lets check out that store across the way. There is a black dress I see in the window that has my name written all over it."

_Several Hours Later..._

It was nearly 4:00 O'clock and a half a dozen stores later, when the girls finally made it back to the parking lot, where the guys were all patiently waiting for them to arrive.

"Hey babe. Did you find something nice to wear?" Chad asked, as Taylor walked over and kissed him in greeting.

"As a matter of fact I did. Smoking hot to be exact. I don't think you'll be disapponted at all."

"That's what I like to hear," Chad joked with a smile, putting an arm around Taylor's shoulder.

"And what about you pretty lady? Did you have me in mind when you picked out your sizzling number as well?" Troy wondered, taking Gabriella's hand and pulling her into a hug.

"I sure did. I hope you like it as much as I do."

"And what about you Kel? And you Shar? Did you find what you wanted like Taylor and Brie?" Ryan asked, taking Kelsi's bag while kissing her sweetly on the cheek.

"We did," Kelsi replied, her face a rosy blush. "What about you guys?"

"Well I definitely can say I'm going to be the hottest guy at the party tommorow if I do say so myself," Zeke bragged, as he placed an arm around Sharpay's waist and gently squeezed her to his side.

"In your dreams man," Ryan laughed. "If anyone is going to take best dressed honors at the party it is definitely going to be me."

"Hold on there a minute playa," Chad interrupted with a grin. "Have you forgotten who it was that snagged that black Armani shirt I know you still must be drooling over?"

Troy, Zeke and Jason nodded in agreement with a chuckle.

"He's got you there Ry," Troy teased. "Even I wanted a chance at that shirt but our boy Danforth here was too quick on the draw and got to it before any of the rest of us could."

"So does that mean the rest of you will be underdressing for the party of the year?" Sharpay interrupted jokingly.

"Hardly," Zeke immediately corrected. "Granted, Chad's going to be looking good and will no doubt have Taylor beaming with pride, but rest assured, I won't be attending looking like something you have to throw back either Ms. Evans."

"Oooh...I can hardly wait to see you in action," Sharpay gushed with a laugh.

"And what about you Troy? Are you going to have me smiling from ear to ear as well?" Gabriella asked, her pretty brown eyes staring up at him curiously.

"Well...when you're fortunate enough to be born with all the mojo you'll ever need...the hair, the face, the eyes, the bod...what else matters?" Troy stated, as Chad, Jason, Zeke and Ryan all began snickering.

"If that doesn't sound like a fashion disaster waiting to happen I don't know what does," Taylor laughed.

"Please tell me you are joking," Gabriella said, searching his face for some sign of that he was being anything but serious.

"Yes Troy. Please tell us you are joking," Sharpay chimed in as well.

"Not to worry ladies," Chad interjected with a smile. "Whatever Troy may lack tomorrow night, our man Jason here will definitely be able to pick up the slack."

"Really? That sounds impressive," Kelsi stated, turning to give Jason a look of intrigue, that wasn't entirely lost on Ryan. "And what can we expect from you Jas? Something to drive the girls wild?"

"Hardly," Jason replied, wondering how his name had gotten dragged into the conversation. "I mean..I won't look like something the cat dragged in. Not that it matters one way or the other, considering my girl won't be around to help me celebrate irregardless of what I'm wearing."

"Not to worry friend," Ryan said, patting him on the back. "Our folks are inviting quite a few people to join in on the festitives tomorrow night and I can gurantee you that there will likely be no less than five girls Sharpay I personally know of who will be registering eight or higher on the hottie scale. Believe me when I say your dance card will have no problem staying filled with the ensemble you'll be sporting."

"Wow! Five number eight hotties?" Chad stated with a low whistle. "Do you think I should shave then just to make sure I'll be up to the task of helping out Jas with the overload if need be?"

"Oh I've got your overload right here Chad Danforth," Taylor replied, elbowing him in the ribs, which forced a gasp of surprise from his lips.

"What baby? I was only joking. You know you're the only girl I plan on being with before, during, and after the party."

"I better be, because I would so hate to have to see your parents putting up posters the morning after asking if anyone has seen their son with only a few spunky curls left on your pillow to cling too."

"Ouch!!" All their friends yelled in unision at Taylor's words of warning before cracking up at the pretend expression of fear on Chad's face.

"Well I guess that means my chances of pop locking with Chad tomorrow night just went out the window," Kelsi teased, causing fresh laughter to ring out among the group.

"Mine too Kel," Gabriella giggled.

"No worries buddy. I'll do stand in duty for you if Jason needs a hand," Zeke jokingly offered, which brought the look of daggers from his own girlfriend.

"Oh. Another one looking to have his face on a milk carton I see," was Sharpay's reply to her guy's attempt at humor.

Looking over at Troy whom she could feel would be the next one to chime in his own bid for help, Gabriella shook her head and stated, "Don't even go there."

"What?" Troy asked, feigning innocence, as he winked knowingly in Chad's direction.

They all started laughing again, now causing passerbys in the parking lot to turn and stare at them all obviously having a good time. It was Sharpay of course who reminded them that they needed to start heading back to the house so as not to be late for dinner that broke things up. The girls put their packages away in the back of the SUV and five minutes later they were on their way.

When they finally arrived back at the house hungry for whatever gourmet delight Lois had whipped up for the occasion, Troy, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad and Taylor found all of their parents in the living room listening to old school records and dancing up a storm, as Carla and the children cheered them on with shouts of encouragement and applause.

As bags and packages were laid down in the hallway, the returning group of teenagers watched in total amusement as the older generation showed them all what a really good time truly looked like. And because their mothers and fathers were having such a good time and the air was filled with such lighthearted fun, the next thing they knew, all of them were dancing together all over the room until Lois came in to annouce that dinner was ready twenty minutes later.

After another spectacular meal had been shared and enjoyed, everyone disperesed to different parts of the house to relax and do what they wanted until it was time for bed.

All of the girls were anxious to show off their purchases from earlier in the day, so they all met up in Mia Evan's bedroom to put on an impromtu fashion show for her, Lucy, Glenda, Carla and Linda. Downstairs, in one of the dens, Charles Evans was breaking out a deck of cards and stacks of chips for the guys to partake in a game of penny-ante poker.

It was close to 10:00 p.m., when the adults decided to finally turn in, which left the still energized teens to more or less quietly rule the roost in their absence.

Trying to figure out what to do for the rest of the night, it was Ryan who came up with the big idea of them all hanging out in the entertainment room and having a pajama party. Everyone agreed and excitedly went to change their clothes, while Ryan went off to the kitchen to ask Lois to prepare a late night snack for them to enjoy.

A short time later, the group arrived back downstairs to find the plush over-stuffed sectional couch converted into what looked like a king-sized bed times three with more than enough room for everyone to snuggle up on and get comfortable. Then came a huge tray of finger foods and drinks, while Ryan flipped through the extensive library of movies at their disposal until he found one that everyone agreed would work for the entire group.

Troy, ever the leader of the pack, decided to make a toast before they all settled in to watch the film, acknowleging how happy and thankful he was to be among the people in the world who meant the most to him, which was immediately followed by a round of applause from his captive audience.

Then without further interruption, Sharpay dimmed the lights, Ryan turned on the DVD, and they all sat back in their pajamas on this their next to last night of a year to remember.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

It was still very early on New Year's Eve morning when Chad was awakened by the sound of someone softly crying.

At first he thought he was caught up in a dream, but then realized that what he was hearing was very real and that it was coming from Taylor who was curled up beside him like a baby, her head resting against his chest. As he stared down at her face, Chad could see that she was still asleep, yet there were tear stains on her cheeks to match the tiny whimperings that had caused his eyes to open in the first place, and concluded that she was in the middle of an unsettling dream.

Whispering to Taylor in a low voice so as not to disturb the others in the room who remained peacefully sleeping, Chad tried to gently shake her awake.

"Taylor. Taylor. Open your eyes baby. It's only a dream," he said, brushing aside a wisp of hair from her face, as he softly caressed her cheek. "Time to wake up now and let it go."

At the sound of his voice so soothing and tender, Taylor suddenly emerged from her dreamlike state dazed and a bit confused, as if not quite sure where she was for a moment. Then she slowly lifted her head from his chest and found herself staring up into gorgeous brown eyes beneath a mop of familar curls shining down on her with a mixture of loving concern.

"Chad...is that you?" Taylor whispered softly, her tone as disoriented as the expression on her face.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied, offering up one of his dazzling smiles as a familiar comfort. "You okay?"

Taylor gazed at him for a second like she didn't know how to respond to the question, before slowly nodding her head.

"Was...was I dreaming?" she asked in a somewhat hesitant voice.

"Yes," Chad stated, gently sliding her body upward and closer to him so that her face was now resting against his shoulder. "It must have been a bad one because you were crying and it woke me up."

"I was crying?" Taylor said with slight disbelief, before reachng up a hand to touch her still damp cheeks to confirm his words.

"Yep. But everything's okay. The bad dream is gone, you're awake now, and here safe with me," Chad replied, enjoying the way she felt nestled so perfectly in his arms.

"Are we the only two awake?" Taylor asked looking about the room.

"For now. I don't think anyone but me heard you crying."

"Oh...that's good," Taylor said, suddenly noticing a dull throb in her head, which brought a hand up to her temples to rub it away.

"You sure you okay?" Chad asked again, noticing that she still didn't seem quite herself yet and, in fact, was acting a little funny and distracted.

"I have a small headache," Taylor admitted, feeling strangely groggy as she spoke.

"Maybe you just need to go back to sleep for a while longer. I mean...it's still pretty early to be up" Chad whispered. "Or do you want me to go get you some aspirin instead?"

"I think some apsirin is what I need," Taylor advised raising herself up from where she lay in his arms. "But I'll go get them myself. You stay put and try to get some more sleep. It'll only take me a second and then I'll come back and join you."

"Okay," Chad agreed. "But I'll wait until you're beside me again before I close my eyes so we can drift off together."

Taylor gave him a weak but loving smile, as she nodded at his suggestion and proceed to carefully climb out of bed so as not to wake a sleeping Troy and Gabriella who were curled up together behind her on the other side of the huge couch. She noted how peaceful Zeke and Sharpay appeared sharing a pillow a little ways from where Chad was situated, while Ryan and Kelsi lay sleeping with their hands intertwined more toward the foot of the large sectional, with a slightly snoring Jason next to them.

Tiptoing carefully across the room so as not to disturb anyone else, Taylor was almost at the door when she was suddenly hit with an even more prounced sting of the throbbing pain in her head, which caused her to reach out a hand to the wall to brace herself. Chad had been about to snuggle back down into the warmth of the covers when he caught her trying to regain her bearings and sat up straight as an arrow.

"Tay? You alright?" he asked, poised to leap from the couch to help her.

"Yeah...I'm...I'm..." Taylor began but then could say no more, as dizziness overcame her senses and she slowly sank to the floor with the frightened sound of Chad's voice the last thing she heard before everything went black.

_A Half-Hour Later... _

As Taylor slowly began to come to, she immediately recognized the familar voices of her mother and father involved in converation, which hovered somewhere just above her state of semi-consciousness.

"I'm telling you Robert I think this entire trip has just been too much for her," Taylor heard her mother say in a voice tinged with worry. "The poor girl was only out of the hospital for a month or so before we agreed to come up here. What if we allowed her to do too much too soon and now something else has gone terribly wrong?"

"Come on honey we have to stay positive about things," Robert McKessie stated, his own fears and concerns evident in his response. "The doctor told us that he couldn't find anything wrong and that it was most likely exhaustion and stress which brought this little episode on."

"And what if it turns out to be more than that?" Glenda countered nervously. "Have you forgotten that terrible ordeal our baby went through with those psychopaths during senior weekend and how it robbed her of her memories and nearly cost her her life? Now she's had to endure all the drama from the last few days involving Troy, Sharpay, Zeke and Carla all nearly dying up here, not to mention poor Vincent who actually did die, while we're suppose to be off on some fun-filled holiday? What if all of these things have caused her own condition to worsen in someway?"

"Well we won't be able to tell until she wakes up will we?" Robert answered, trying his best to not think about anymore tragedy falling into their lives. "Physically she's fine. The rest we'll just have to play by ear. Something like this could have happened to anyone of us considering everything that we've all be through over the last week, not just Taylor alone."

"All I know is that I'll be so happy when we are finally back home again. All of these families have had more then enough fear and worry invading our lives and deserve some serious peace of mind," Glenda stated with a weary sigh.

"I agree. But we only have one more day up here so lets make the best of it if we can. Okay?"

"Okay. But when our daugther comes to and if she's not alright like the doctor seems to think she'll be, I'm asking Charles to put us on the plane today and take us home."

Robert McKessie nodded approval at his wife's demand. Then Taylor heard a faint knock through her fogginess and suddenly the sound of Chad's voice filled the room.

"Is she awake yet?" he asked, walking over to come and stand by her parents side.

"No she isn't," Glenda replied. "But when she does and if she isn't feeling better her father and I have decided we'll be leaving."

"But I thought the doctor said she would be okay? That it was probably just stress or something?" Chad stated.

"He did but we won't know for sure if she's okay until she opens her eyes and tells us that herself," Robert answered, heartened by the look of love and concern for his daughter he saw shining in the young man's eyes.

Lying there listening to the people she loved express their fear and worry over the state she was in, Taylor was finally able to shake off the last of her unconsciousness, slowly open her eyes, and startled everyone in the room by suddenly finding her voice, which interrupted the conversation they'd been having about her but didn't know she'd overheard.

"Hey everybody. Where's the party?" she joked, sitting up in bed with a tiny smile, the pain in her head now thankfully gone.

"Taylor!" Glenda, Robert, and Chad screamed in unison, as they all practically fell onto the bed to grab her up in a loving embrace.

"The one and only," she stated with a chuckle, while hugs and kisses reigned over her.

"Baby are you okay?" her mother questioned as she pulled back to give Taylor some breahing room, a look of pure relief across her face. "How do you feel? Can I get you anything?"

"I feel fine. I do. I'm really sorry for putting you through all this added worry. There's been enough of that around here lately," Taylor said, sounding a touch guilty.

"Don't think anything of it sweetheart," Robert McKessie said, patting his daughter tenderly on the cheek. "The important thing is that you're alright. The doctor believed you would be. Said that your fainting was just stress and fatigue. You are alright aren't you?"

Taylor laughed. "Yes daddy. I'm good trust me. But I am hungry. Has everyone already eaten breakfast?"

"No not yet," her mother replied. "We were all to tense and concerned about you to even think about food. But now that you look and sound okay, I can go downstairs and let the others know and Lois can start preparing something."

"Sounds great," Taylor said, taking a moment to glance over at Chad who gave her a sexy little wink. "How about you and daddy go spread the good news like you said while I get up, take a shower, and get dressed. Okay?"

"Okay," Glenda agreed, leaning in to kiss her daughter's forehead warmly. "Just come down when you're ready to join us."

"I will," Taylor said with a nod, as the three slowly backed away from the bed.

They were all nearly out the door, when she called to Chad and asked him to stay so she could talk to him for a minute, a request he was more than happy to oblige.

Once Glenda and Robert had left the room to share that yet another crisis had been averted with other family and friends, Taylor moitioned Chad over to the bed, where he came, sat down, and smiled at her with that twinkle in his eyes she loved so much.

"Hey," Chad said, taking one of Taylor's hands in his and bringing it up to his lips for a kiss.

"Hey yourself."

"You sure you're alright? You weren't just saying that to ease your parents' fears or mine?"

"Positive," Taylor said with assurance. "In fact, I'm better than alright."

Chad took note of the smile she wore and her fresh faced beauty and realized something was different...that something about his girl had changed.

"Well for someone who was passed out the floor not too long ago you certainly look good," he teased, wondering what it was about her demeanor that had his curiosity up.

"That's because I'm happy," Taylor admitted, a mischevious look in her eye. "And I owe it all to Joey Boone's 13th birthday party and a certain game of spin the bottle."

Chad stared at her strangely. "Joey Boone? Spin the bottle? What are you talking about Tay?"

"I'm talking about you and I sharing our very first kiss. It was at Joey's party. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. Troy and the other guys gave you a hard time about having to kiss the class nerd, something I could tell you weren't looking forward too at all."

"That's not true," Chad stated defensively. "I was looking forward too it but I couldn't let anyone...especially you know that so I played it cool. Didn't want your already big head getting any bigger."

Taylor laughed and pulled him closer to her on the bed.

"Did I have a big head back then?"

Chad nodded with a smile. "Yes you did and it both scared and thrilled me all at once."

"You know...that was the most perfect kiss I've ever gotten from you," Taylor joked, reaching up to play with one of his curls.

"Really? You mean none after even came close?"

"Well...maybe one or two...but that one was and still is my ultimate favorite."

"Is that right?"

Taylor nodded. "But if you want to try and see if you can top that personal best here and now, I won't have any objections."

Chad laughed at the playful dare as he leaned in and slowly, sensually began to give Taylor the kiss of her life. A kiss so beautiful and perfect that neither one wanted it to end. And it was while in the throws of their lips being locked together, tasting and exploring the others', that Chad realized what it was about her that seemed changed, causing him to suddenly pull back and stare at her with his mouth hanging open.

"Joey...his 13th birthday party...spin the bottle...our first kiss...," he began to stammer as the smile on Taylor's face grew wider. "You...you...are you trying to tell me that..."

Taylor nodded. "Yes Chad..."

"...you remember? You're memory has come back?"

"I remember. Not just the party but everything in between, right up until now. I guess that headache I had before was some sort of breaking point for the mental dam that's been holding me back all this time."

"But the doctor never said that anything like that was possible. He only stated that you'd be fine after getting some rest."

"Maybe not the doctor that was here today, but when I was in the hospital, my doctor there told me that my memories could come back at any time and that it could be anything that triggered my having total recall again."

For a moment Chad didn't know what to say or how to react. He was so stunned that after all this time his prayers and those of everyone who loved Taylor had been answered that he was completely speechless. Then he grabbed her up into his arms again, where both began laughing with uncontrollable happiness, and then Chad yelled out almost loud enough for the entire house to hear...

"Hey everyone! Hey Wildcats! My girl can remember!"

Twenty minutes later, when Chad and Taylor arrived downstairs for breakfast and found everyone waiting for them in the dining room, Taylor made the annoucement of her regained memories. The news was so shocking and unexpected that like Chad at first, they too need a minute to absorb the wonderful news. Then when they all realized what it meant to Taylor and to them it sent everyone into a tailspin of giddy over-the-top excitement that would set the tone of the entire day, and for the big bash later that night.

It was as if the regaining of her lost memories was the very miracle they all needed to hear to truly lift them up and away from the last lingerings of all the trials and tribulations endured over the past week, and shine a light of promise and hope with which to guide each and everyone of them as the journeyed forth into the coming new year.

After a satisfying breakfast filled with non-stop chatter about the party that night, everyone went off to more or less relax for the rest of the day. Just as the dishes were being cleared away, Mia Evans was thrust into her hostess cap not a moment too soon, where she proceeded to have the house turned into an extravaganza of decorative light and sound, as the largest party rental company in town at her disposal finally arrived.

Toward the latter part of the morning into early afternoon, most everyone in the house had decided to take a nap so that they'd be refreshed and ready to party the night away. Dispersing to their various rooms, it wasn't long before all were fast asleep with smiles on their faces in anticipation of the fun time that was yet to come that evening.

Upon awakening a few hours later, all but Ryan and Shapay were surprised to find a mini-carnival set up out behind the house, complete with scaled down versions of a ferris wheel and carousel for the younger children to enjoy, along with a huge enclosed canopy tent equipped with outdoor heaters, lounge chairs, and a bar. There was to be face painting and storytelling for the kids, a fortune telling booth and a replica of a casino set up in the back of the house for the adults, along with a man-made snow slide to be ridden down by innertube, and a huge wooden platform for those who wanted to dance the night away under the stars.

The caterers were just arriving with the food, champagne and bunch after bunch of gold and sliver ballon bouquets, when Chad, Taylor, Troy, Gabriella and the rest of the gang came down from their rooms to snag a little snack to tide them over until the buffet dinner was ready to be served at 7:00 p.m.

Sneaking off with a plate of finger sandwhichs and a few bottles of sparkling cider, they all snuck off to a private little cove a short distance from where the mini-carnival had been set up, to hang out for a while before they had to go back in, get dressed, and be ready when the other guests arrived. And for the next hour or so, they all sat huddled together and laughed and talked about the coming year and how they were all looking foward to returning back home and even resuming school again.

Troy, Chad, Jason and Zeke were excited about getting into the swing of basketball season with the hope of winning a second championship in a row; Ryan, Sharpay and Kelsi talked about plans for their final farewell spring musical at East High; and Gabriella and Taylor were psyched about the academic decathalon and, like their boyfriends, were looking to repeat the previous year's win, along with being excited about prom, graduation and entering college in the fall.

Before any of them knew it, time had flown by and their parents were calling them inside to come and get ready for the evening's festitivies that were set to begin in a few hours.

Hating to break up one of their best hang out sessions of the entire holiday, yet wanting to party the night away as they rang in their last new year's eve in high school, the excited teens disbanded the little impromtu get together and piled inside where they were taken by surprise at the beautifully decorated interior of the house.

Totally impressed by what they saw, they all realized that they hadn't been this excited about a party since the masquerade ball during senior weekend, and suddenly found themselves bolting for the stairs to get ready knowing that they were most definitely in for the time of their lives...a true night to remember.


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

"So what do you think?" Sharpay asked, as she walked out of her bathroom, hair slicked back into a fierce ponytail, wearing a lovely red mini-cashmere dress with leather thigh-high boots to match. "Do I look ready to ring in the New Year or what?"

"Wow!" Kelsi said in open admiration, giving her friend the once over with an approving whistle. "You look amazing Shar. Zeke's going to have no problem planting a kiss on you in that outfit when midnight rolls around that's for sure."

Gabriella, who was standing before the vanity table mirror over a seated Taylor, pulling the last of her hair up into a beautiful French twist, glanced in the direction of their resident blonde bombshell and nodded in agreement with a knowing laugh.

"Trust me Kel, a kiss isn't the only thing Zeke is going to want to lay on Sharpay when he sees her looking like that! The only recipe going through his mind tonight is going to be how to make her desert. Muy muy caliente senorita Evans."

Taylor laughed too. "Girl when he locks eyes on you tonight the kind of cooking he'll have on his mind won't require pots, pans or a kitchen."

"Well thank you ladies," Sharpay stated happily. "I can honestly say my ego has been sufficiently stroked by all your words of encouragement that I did indeed procure the perfect outfit for tonight's big event."

"Oh trust Shar, that dress is no joke," Gabriella re-affirmed, as she smoothed the sides of Taylor's perfect upswept hairdo. "And don't even get us started on those boots. They were definitely made for walking all over some poor guy's heart, which in this case would be our Zeke, whom lucky for you, likes it when you play rough."

"Oooh Brie no you didn't?" Taylor gasped with a smile, as Gabriella gave her a hand held mirror to inspect the back of her masterpiece.

"Of course she did," Sharpay replied not the least bit phased by the remark. "That's how our Miss Montez rolls isn't it Gabriella?"

"I just call it like I see it is all," came the non-chalant response from across the room.

"Well I hope that Ryan is as impressed with my outfit as Zeke is going to be with Sharpay's," Kelsi worried, turning her attention back to her own mirror for further appraisal. "The same way I know that both Chad and Troy are going to be over you and Taylor."

"No worries hon," Taylor said, standing up from the chair she'd been sitting in wearing a sexy black shoulderless mini-dress that collared at the neck. "You look amazing whether you believe it or not, and Ryan is going to be on cloud nine the minute he sees you coming down those stairs."

"Absolutely," Gabriella chimed in, as she checked the zipper on her white leather mini-dress, which she then smoothed down a bit before reaching for a pair of big hoop earrings from off the dresser. "That color of blue brings out the beauty of your eyes, and the length and fit of the dress are totally perfect."

"You really think so?" Kelsi asked, still a bit hesitant to believe that she looked equally as gorgeous as the other three girls in her presence.

"Oh for goodness sakes girl. Stop acting like you don't know you look like all that and a bag of chips," Sharpay chastised, annoyed by what she perceived as Kelsi's false modesty. "I personally helped you pick out that dress remember? There is no way I'm about to let you go to the biggest party of the year, in my own home no less, looking like a reject from the Salvation Army. Just accept you've got it going on and work it. Trust me when I say you'll definitely knock my brother's socks of and then some."

"You tell her Sharpay!" Gabriella applauded, as she sat down on the bed and slipped into a pair of 3-inch white ankle boots with a smile. "Nothing like a pep talk from the queen diva of East High herself to give a girl all the confidence she needs to make it through the night."

Taylor snickered while she sat down beside her best friend and put on her own shoes, a sexy pair of black leather thinly strapped sandals.

"They're both right Kelsi. Just hold your head high and strut your stuff and you'll be just fine."

"Thank you Tay," Gabriella said, holding up her hand for a high-five.

"Exactly," Sharpay stated, searching for her lipstick. "Don't sweat the small stuff. Tonight is your night. Our night. A night to remember."

_Down The Hall..._

"Man Troy...are you ever going to drag yourself out of the mirror or what?" Chad teased from the bedroom, as he slipped a mock black turtle-neck shirt over his head, before reaching up to begin the process of pulling back his head of massive curls.

Troy came sauntering out of the bathroom where he had just finished shaving, gave his best friend an unassuming glance, then out of no where gave him a fierce smack across the leg with the towel he'd had hanging around his neck.

"Ouch!" Chad yelled playfully before laughing at the smirk on Troy's face. "You know I owe you for that don't you?"

"Yeah...yeah...promises...promises," Troy taunted, as he began buttoning up his white silk collarless shirt.

"I wonder if the girls are close to ready yet?" Chad asked, changing the subject, while he finished pulling his hair back and secured it with a black ponytail holder. "I have a feeling what with everything back to normal...I mean really back to normal...that means we'll be waiting on our babes longer than expected as per usual."

"No worries dude. I get the feeling that this is one night our lovely ladies are likely going to beat us getting dressed," Troy surmised, slipping into a pair of nice blue trousers. "I mean...the gleam in Sharpay's eyes definitely put me on alert that she is more than ready to show off whatever designer creation she spent up a nice piece of daddy's fortune on yesterday."

Chad cracked up. "Well I'm sure that whatever that girl is planning to unleash tonight, she'll no doubt have Zeke a total mess of gaga before the clock strikes 12."

"Careful buddy," Troy warned with a smile. "I have a feeling that you and I are going to be right there with Z as well, because something tells me that both Brie and Tay are going to be looking particularly delicious this evening. So much so in fact,that we may have to stand guard over them to beat off all the wolves if you get my meaning."

"Oh I get it and I concur," Chad said with serious reassurance. "And let me state for the record here and now that no one aside from fathers and fathers of friends will be allowed any unnecessary time to have the opportunity to mack up on our women."

"That's what I'm talking about," Troy agreed, holding up his hand for a hi-five that was quickly returned.

Just then there was a knock at the door and Ryan, Zeke and Jason all sauntered in looking smooth and dressed to kill.

"You two ladies almost ready?" Zeke joked, looking extremely handsome in light blue _Calvin Klein_ shirt and dark blue slacks.

"Yeah," Ryan chimed in, also looking good in a pair of off-white perfectly creased pants, a white muslim shirt and a white Fedora type hat. "The buffet is going to begin in about 15 minutes or so and I want to be downstairs getting my eat on so we can get to the partying that much faster."

Jason, who was wearing a black shirt with a red tee underneath and a pair of black slacks, looked a little nervous about something which everyone in the room instantly picked up on.

"Hey! Jas! What gives?" Troy asked, noticing a few tiny beads of sweat starting to break out on his friend's forehead. "You're looking a little worried there buddy. You okay?"

"Yeah...sure...I'm fine," Jason stammered but could see none of the other guys was buying into his assurances. "It's...it's...just that..."

"Just what Jas? Spit it out," Chad ordered, splashing some of his favorite CK cologne on.

"He's a little concerned about the babe patrol Ryan promised to have at the party tonight. Not sure if he's ready to play in the major leagues is all," Zeke offered in explanation, reaching over to pat Jason playfully on the back.

"Is that all?" Troy asked matter of fact. "Dude...trust...you are going to handle those girls like your middle name is Zac Efron...and then it will be on and popping!"

"You really think so?" Jason asked, some of his awkwardness starting to fade.

"We know so," Chad reaffirmed. "If Ryan 'the man' Evans says you are good to go then guess what? You are. Besides, you've got us to watch your back and lead you in the right direction if you get stuck in any way. Believe me...these girls, whomever they are, will be fighting to see which one gets to spend most of the evening with you guranteed."

Suddenly, a more confident smile appeared on Jason's face, followed by a relaxed sigh. "Thanks guys. I knew I was getting worried for nothing."

"No problem dude," Troy said, giving Chad a quick wink out of the corner of his eye. "Just remember that tonight is our last night to party in 2007 and we need to be on the same page with the same goal in mind...having the time of our lives...remembering we're all of us in this together."

_An Hour Later..._

After the first of the guests began arriving promptly at 7:00 p.m. sharp, every 10 minutes or so from then on out more and more people began to show until a steady stream of partygoers slowly began to fill the house with close to 50 people milling about within the first half hour alone.

Most of the early arrivals were those friends of the Evans' with children slightly younger than their own who'd heard about the mini-carnival and other kid-friendly activities planned. They had been excited enough when seeing the lights of the carousel and ferris wheel from their car windows upon pulling up into the main driveway, but were even more impressed when they saw the game booths, face painting, snow slide and buffet of hot dogs, pizza, french fries and root beer floats waiting for them as well. The arriving children also learned that at 10:00 p.m. they were going to be treated to both a puppet and magic show, one followed by the other.

Some of the parents were skeptical that their little ones wouldn't be able to handle all the activity and excitement, but Mia Evans had seen to it that several upstairs bedrooms had been equipped with cots where those kids who couldn't stay awake for the duration would be able to go to sleep, allowing their parents to remain for the adult fun well into the night.

The first thing that Chad, Taylor, Troy, Gabriella and the others did after grabbing a light meal from the buffet so as not to be too full to enjoy their evening, was to be introduced to those teenaged friends of Ryan and Sharpay's whom they'd acquired over the many years that their family had been coming to Lake Tahoe for the holidays. Introductions were made and then the group of nearly 25 or so made their way outside to where the carnival was at, laughing and talking about what a great night it was going to be and how nobody threw a party like the Evans clan.

As promised, Ryan took it upon himself to immediately acquaint Jason with at least three of the girls in the group he'd told him about from the day before, all of whom were just as pretty as he'd said they would be. Jennifer and Megan were sisters and Kaitlin their bestfriend. All were students at a Catholic all girls high school and the minute they met Jason, there was nothing but giggles and smiles for him to drown himself in for the evening.

Watching the three young ladies, Jason, Ryan and Kelsi go off in another direction of the festivities, Chad, Taylor, Troy, Gabriella, Zeke and Sharpay went to go find a little adventure of their own, starting with a visit to the fortune telling booth.

At first Troy, Chad and Zeke were all skeptical about having their futures foretold, but quickly changed their tunes once the elderly woman dressed in gypsy-like clothing spoke of their winning another basketball championship, that one of them could look forward to an unexpected belated Christmas gift when they returned home, and that college scholarships for two of them were forthcoming. She also spoke of one becoming the prom king and another experiencing love at an even greater level than at present.

Then it was on to the girls who had been more receptive to the idea. Each was told of what a wonderful and exciting time in their lives they would be entering and how many new and fullfilling experiences awaited them. When pressed for details, the fortune teller revealed that love would sustain them all through any obstacles or challenges they had to face, that a life-long dream would be fullfiled for one, that there was a trip to paradise on the horizon, a special celebration that all would attend, and that one of them would be crowned prom queen.

More than satisfied that no forecasting of doom and gloom was waiting to reach out and take hold of their lives as had been the case over the last several months, the three couples left with smiles on their faces, ready to enjoy the rest of the night on their way to counting down the final hours before the New Year was rung in.

It was around 9:30 p.m., when the two DJs hired began amping up the party atmosphere inside the house and out by playing a mix of music that immediately brought people to the dance floors in droves. Shortly thereafter, those children that were still awake, were taken inside for the puppet/magic show, leaving the adults to kick up their partying another notch finally free of younger eyes and ears.

Everyone was having the best time and it only seemed to get better by the hour. And while many a guy at the party did their best to snag several dances with Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi and Sharpay...Troy, Chad, Ryan and Zeke were there to let them know that these four girls in particular were definitely off limits for anything more.

At 11:00 p.m., party favors were handed out as the festivities were now in a heightened mode of full blast excitement, with everyone anticipating the countdown to come in 59 minutes and counting.

The music had taken on a softer tone for the time being, allowing the couples in the crowd, or those hoping to become one, to enjoy some seriously romantic slow dancing which, for Jason, was something of a problem considering he now had the company of five pretty girls hovering over him to contend with. Libby and Amanda, also friends of the other three girls he'd met earlier that evening, had showed up at around 10:45 p.m. After Ryan had done another round of introductions, there was nothing left but to sit back and watch Jason try and juggle the attention of so many girls who seemed to genuinely find him attractive and interesting, something that amused his friends to no end.

"Dude...do you really think he can handle all that action?" Chad asked Troy jokingly, as they both took the hands of Taylor and Gabriella and led them out on the floor for a romantic spin, closely followed by Sharpay and Zeke.

"I don't know man," Troy said with a laugh, as they reached the middle of the dance floor and he wrapped his arms around Gabriella's waist and pulled her close to him. "Jas may be in over his head this time. Five pretty girls is a lot for one guy to manage."

"It sure is," Zeke chimed in, smiling down at Sharpay who had his heart aflutter from how beautiful he thought she looked from the moment she'd come downstairs hours before. "Maybe if it were you or Chad it could be done. But Jason is no ladies man and yet he's got honeys coming out of his ears right now."

"Oh...so you think Troy and Chad are the only ones who could handle more than one woman at a time do you?" Taylor inquired, turning in her boyfriend's arms to glance over at Gabriella who was giving her an amused look. "And why is that Zeke?"

Troy and Chad saw the expressions on both girls' faces and silently prayed that Zeke hadn't just put his foot in his mouth and them in the doghouse.

"Yes Zeke. How did you come up with that conclusion? One which you cleverly omitted yourself out of but probably secretly include in as well?" Sharpay questioned.

Zeke was about to stammer out a response, realizing that he should have probably never made the comment in the first place joking or not, but was saved by the appearance of Kelsi and Ryan suddenly at their side for which he was momentarily grateful.

"Doesn't Jason just have his hands full," Kelsi said with a laugh, as she moved into Ryan's arms, her eyes following her friend's escapades on the sidelines. "He definitely looks like he's died and gone to heaven but then who wouldn't with so many hot girls vying for his attention."

"Yep. I bet he believes me the next time I tell him I can have a harem at his feet for the asking," Ryan smiled, pleased that his plans had worked out so perfectly for the one guy among them who'd been worried about not having a date for the night.

"Yes brother dear...your plans worked out brilliantly," Sharpay congratulated. "But Zeke here was just about to enlighten the rest of us on how it is that Troy, Chad and possibly himself, would have an easier time of juggling so much action at one time than sweet little Jason. Weren't you Zeke?"

"That he was," Gabriella chimed in, enjoying the slight nervousness she felt in the way Troy was holding her waiting for his friend to explain his comments.

"Come on ladies, you know Zeke was just pulling your leg," Chad interjected quickly. "He knows that there are no other girls for us but you, Brie and Sharpay."

"Maybe...," Taylor said with a mischievous smile. "But I would still like to hear him out anyway."

"So would I," Sharpay and Gabriella stated in unison.

Zeke swallowed the lump in this throat realizing he had to get himself and his boys out of the fix he had them and fast.

"What...what I meant is just that Troy and Chad are the two most popular guys at East High and have had more experience of handling a large group of girls without much effort is all."

"Oh really? How so?" Taylor pressed, smiling to herself as she felt Chad's arms tighten around her, as if he were afraid she were going to bolt from him at any moment.

"You know Tay...cheeleaders...groups of girls at school in general, that sort of thing," Zeke replied. "Those two never get tongue tied or seem under pressure by the attention. It doesn't for one minute mean that during any of those times either one forgets who his heart belongs to."

Suddenly Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay fell silent, all smiles gone from their faces, causing Troy, Chad and Zeke to feel slightly uncomfortable. Then the three girls burst into loud laughter and hugged their boyfriends to show that they weren't in the least bit upset but, rather, were simply enjoying just watching them all sweat for a second believing themselves about to be in big trouble.

"Oh you think that's funny do you?" Chad asked, sighing inwardly that everything was still okay and that World War III wasn't about to break out.

"I sure do," Taylor replied with a pleased smirk before leaning in to give him a kiss. "Nothing like watching the East High heartthrobs squirm for a bit. Best entertainment I've had all evening."

Gabriella and Sharpay nodded in agreement, as the rest of the group broke out in simultaneous laughter. Then everyone resumed their focus on dancing and how good it felt to be together and holding the one that they loved in their arms as did all the other couples on the floor around them.

When 11:30 p.m. rolled around, Sharpay put a crimp in the romance for the time being by commanding that they all stop dancing and come up to her room, as she had something she wanted to show them.

Taylor, Gabriella and Kelsi looked at her with surprise, while she was met by sighs and groans from Troy and Chad wondering what now. Ryan followed along without batting an eye, stopping along the way to pull Jason from his groupies, promising to return him shortly.

Once upstars in Sharpay's bedroom, she ushered them all inside and closed the door. Everyone watched as she went to her closed and then suddenly reappared carrying a tray holding a bottle of vintage champagne and nine glasses.

"Oh no you didn't!" Gabriella exclaimed, when she realized that they were all about have an official drink of alcohol right under the parents' noses.

"Oh yes I did," Sharpay said with a devious smile, putting the tray down on a table and handing the bottle of champagne over for Zeke to pop the cork. "This is our last New Year's Eve as seniors no less, and I wanted to mark the occassion with something special."

"You know we could get into big trouble if our folks find out about this," Troy warned with a smile, as he took the first glass poured and handed it over to his girl. "Let's not forget, we are still underage."

Sharpay's hand waved away the obvious as she took up a glass of her own and waited for everyone else to do the same. Then she raised it high in the air and began her little speech.

"Here's to us Wildcats. Six months and counting before our days at East High come to an end and we embark on a brand new life's journey. It's been a wild ride to say the least and we've been through a lot together, but I never would have had it any other way. 2008 is our year to shine even more than we are now and it's going to be the best year of our lives. So here's to a great year of basketball, musicals, decathalons, parties, prom and graduation. Here's to us Wildcats...like always...all in this together!"

"Cheers!!!" Everyone shouted as they raised their glasses high in tribute to their ever lasting friendship.

Then Sharpay went over to her dresser, opened the drawer, and pulled out a bag. Reaching inside, she began to hand out tiny black boxes which had everyone's name on them.

"What's this Shar?" Kelsi asked, taking her box with a curious smile. "You already gave us all our Christmas presents."

"Yeah...what gives?" Zeke wondered as well, holding his up to his ear and giving it a shake.

Sharpay sighed as she handed out the rest of the boxes to the others.

"Can't you people just accept my generosity without badering me with questions on my motives?"

Troy and Chad looked at one another, shook their heads, laughed and exclaimed "No!"

Sharpay rolled her eyes in their direction but continued as planned, asking that they all open their boxes to see what was inside. And when they did, everyone gasped when they saw beautiful jade rings with a lone diamond in the center, sitting inside.

"Wow!" Taylor gasped. "This ring is beautiful Shar. I've never seen anything like it."

"Of coure not silly. I had them all custom made and engraved with your names," Sharpay explained, happy to see the look of surprise on their faces, which masked an even deeper emotion at their being touched by her gesture. "These are one of a kind friendship rings that I wanted each of you to have to represent where we've all been and where we are all going. They symbolize what we mean to the others standing in this room and how no matter what happens we'll always be a family."

For moment, everyone was speechless as they took their rings out of the boxes and placed on their finger of choice. Then came the smiles and thank yous, which made Sharpay happier than she would ever admit.

"This was really sweet of you," Gabriella stated, totally floored by the beautiful momento. "Totally unexpected."

"Yes, it was sweet of me wasn't it?" Sharpay teased, causing them all to laugh, knowing that she was partly joking and partly serious all at the same time.

Just then there was a knock at the door before Mia Evans swept into the room looking lovely in a cream colored pantsuit.

"And just what is going on up in here? You do all know the party is downstairs don't you?"

"Hey mom," Sharpay said with a smile. "We were just taking a break from all of the insanity to have our own private little pre-New Year's Eve pow wow alone. No worries. We'll be down before dad makes his speech and the clock strikes midnight."

"Okay...but hurry up. Everyone's starting to gather for the big moment and I would hate for any of you to miss a minute of it."

"We won't," Ryan promised, as he watched his mother's nod of approval, before slipping out the door again and back to her hostess duties in seeing that her guests continued to have a good time.

"That was close," Kelsi said with a sigh, unable to take her eyes off her ring, the prettiest she'd ever owned or worn.

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked, enjoying the way her eyes lit up at the present both he and his sister had been working on to give to their closet friends for months.

"I mean that she didn't catch that we were up here drinking when we know we aren't old enough yet," Kesli replied.

"Honestly Kel, sometimes you worry far too much than is healthy for a normal teenager," Sharpay chastised, as she took her friend's hand and dragged her out the bedroom door. "Come on...it's still more partying to enjoy."

Once coming back downstairs again to join in the revelry that was clearly on major blast everyone, especially Zeke, was shocked when they saw his parents walking through the door looking like they'd just stepped into an insane asylum.

"Mom! Dad!" Zeke yelled, pushing past his friends to get to his folks whose arms he threw himself into like when he was little. "I can't believe you're really here!"

"Believe it baby," his mother cooed, so happy at seeing her son after what seemed like an eternity that she started to cry. "We weren't sure if our plane was going to come in on time but thank heavens it did and we are now able to ring in the New Year as a family."

"Here, here," Zeke's father agreed, giving him a once over with prideful joy. "And even better is that you look just fine, even after that terrible ordeal you had to go through without us being around to help."

"It's okay...really," Zeke promised, just happy to see those he loved standing before him. "The Evans, Danforths, McKessies, Boltons and of course all of my friends took great care of me. Couldn't have asked for better."

"Well just as long as you're alright I'm alright," his mother stated, grabbing him into another hug, before saying hello to everyone else, and then asking Sharpay to take them to her parents so they could be informed of their arrival.

The minute they were gone, Ryan grabbed Kelsi and the two of them went to deliver Jason back to his group of new friends, who had been anxiously awaiting his return. Troy and Chad took Gabriella and Taylor by the hand and went back out on the dance floor, where they all agreed that Sharpay's gift had really gotten to them and showed what a true friend she was no matter what.

At five to midnight, the music was turned down low as Charles Evans stood up on a makeshift platform, clinking a spoon to his glass of champagne, asking for the undivided attention of all of his guests. He then gave a wonderful speech that spoke to the meaning of the holidays and the blessing it was to be surrounded by the love and support of family and friends. He wished everyone all the best in the coming year and thanked them all for coming to his home and honoring he, his wife and children with their presence.

Then someone in tje crowd shouted out that they were ready to begin the countdown and so they did.

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

And in the very first second of 2008 pandemonium broke loose as horns, whistles and cheers spilled forth in a giant roar, as people began hugging, kissing and giving out well wishes while the confetti began to fly and balloons dropped from the celing.

Chad and Taylor looked into each others eyes and smiled that secret smile they shared, speaking to one another without a saying a word. It seemed that they were in their own private bubble and that the noise and excitement that surrounded them was shut out from all existence, the only sound either could hear was that of their breathing and the beating of their hearts as one.

They moved into each other's arms, with Taylor's going around his neck and Chad's at her waist.

"I love you Taylor McKessie. Happy New Year."

"I love you Chad Danforth. Happy New Year."

Then still smiling as bright as the sun, they leaned in for their first kiss of the New Year, which swept them both away into an understanding of the love they felt for one another deeper than they'd known before. And it was in that moment that a loud boom could be heard, followed by excited shouts, ooohs and awws.

"Look! Look!" Gabriella yelled excitedly, from where she and Troy stood close by. "They have fireworks too!"

Suddenly people were rushing to the windows and outside to see the beautiful display of colors that lit up the night sky as cheers and applause filled the air. Standing arm and arm, surrounded by everyone they loved, each other most of all, Taylor and Chad laid their heads together and gave thanks for all that they had and all that was still left to come.


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62

For Chad, Taylor, Gabriella, Troy and the others, the first two weeks back among the hallowed halls of East High were mixed with a blend of excitement, exhaustion and, at times, even a touch of awkwardness.

The exciting part for everyone was simply getting back to the normal day-to-day routine of their lives that revolved around classes, friends, and hanging out. After the emotional up and down rollercoaster they'd been on since senior weekend up until the amazing New Year's Eve celebration at the Evans' home in Lake Tahoe, it was nice to once again be able to embrace a comfortable balance of being a group of teenagers with just six months left of seniorhood to look forward to and enjoy.

Exhausation set in when only a few days after their return, Troy, Chad, Jason and Zeke found themselves in the midst of intense training and practice indicative of the most grueling aspect of basketball season, while Sharpay, Kelsi, Gabriella and Taylor contended with a shameful amount of homework on top of their commitments to preparing for the academic decathalon and spring musical, both right around the corner. Additionally, everyone was getting ready for their upcoming college entrance exams followed by the task of farming out applications to institutions of higher learning, hoping to be accepted to the schools of their choice.

The only one among them who had to deal with any type of real awkwardness was Taylor given the events that had occurred at Colton's Bay leading to her bout with amnesia.

During the first few days of her return, Taylor could feel the eyes of other students following her down the hallway and in class, curious as to exactly how to approach her in the aftermath of the DeLeon family's madness, not sure of what to say or how to say it.

Chad, of course, was extremely protective of her during this time and watched over Taylor to ensure that she wasn't letting the whispers and stares mess with her mind. He knew some of those behaving this way were friends of Marissa's who may have held both he and Taylor responsible for her death, but who couldn't confront them over it because of the insane way that her life was lost in the first place. But Chad could careless what any of that group thought. His only main concern was to see that none of them got in the way of Taylor easing back into the routines of her life as smoothly as possible now that she could finally remember everything that had happened to her and and Chad, which nearly had destroyed their lives.

However, by the end of the first week, Taylor had found a way to let several people she considered to be friends from different classes know what her deal was in spite of everything that had taken place, so that by the second week it's hot topic buzz appeal began to quickly wear off.

Now it was Friday afternoon with 20 minutes before the final bell rang, and all Taylor, Chad and their gang could do was think about two full days of winding down and having some fun together. Tentatitve plans on the table were to hang out after class for a while, go home to report in to the folks, and then meet up later for a bite to eat and a movie.

By the time the last class let out at 3:00 p.m., Taylor and Gabriella were racing for their lockers, insanely eager to dump off the books, both anxious about the weekend as they dialed out their combinations and the crowded hallway of noisy students began thinning out around them, clamoring for the nearst exit to freedom.

"That's funny," Gabriella stated, looking about a few moments later, her pretty face marred by a curious frown. "If there is one thing...no...make that two...that I can count on like clockwork it's that Troy and Chad will be at these lockers by the time the final bell rings to pounce on us."

Taylor laughed as she visualized the guys in "pounce" mode for a second, then suddenly realized that her best friend had a good point.

"You know Brie...you're right. Usually by now we're trying to beat Troy and Chad off of us both with a stick. I wonder where those two could be that they would miss out on hooking up?"

"Well wherever they are, neither one had better forget about our plans for the weekend or they can kiss fun and romance good-bye," Gabriella said, shutting her locker door and leaning against it with a sigh. "After the week we've had I need to seriously blow off some steam."

"You get no argument from me," Taylor agreed with a nod, grabbing her book bag, before closing her own locker down. "I just about had a coronary from trying to get through all the homework we had dumped on us this week. I may be a braniac and all but Eienstein I'm not. Laughs and giggles for the next few days works for me."

Suddenly Sharpay, in all her diva glory, rounded the corner, spotted her friends, and then sashayed over to where they were standing.

"Good afternoon ladies," she said in a falsely chipper voice that made both Taylor and Gabriella give each other the "oh brother" look from the corner of their eyes. "And why do I find the darlings of East High still lagging in the hallway at 3:05 p.m., when clearly the warden has sounded the bell and allowed the lowly inmates their 48 hours of freedom?"

"Have you seen Chad and Troy?" Gabriella quickly changed the subject, not even attempting to go there with Sharpay. "We were just talking about how strange it was for them not to be here waiting for us like usual."

"No. As devastating as it is to admit, I haven't seen either one since I left my last class. In fact, I don't even know where my own boyfriend is," Sharpay confided with a laugh. "Maybe the three of them are together planning something naughty for us to get into tonight?"

"Well even if they are, we still need to find them or did you forget we were going to hang out for a while before heading home?" Gabriella reminded, signaling that she was ready to leave.

When they stepped outside the main doors and into the cold January sunlight, all three girls shivered and pulled their jackets closer.

"God! I can't wait for it to be spring and summer again," Sharpay whined, as she reached inside her purse for a pair of leather gloves. "Once the holidays are over, cold weather does nothing for me or my disposition."

"Oh really?" Taylor laughed. "We hadn't noticed."

"Hey! There they are," Gabriella interrupted, as she pointed to where Troy and Chad stood in the parking lot talking to someone they couldn't make out clearly.

"That doesn't look like Zeke even from this distance," Sharpay stated, noting that as they got closer it was a girl with reddish-gold hair that had them entranced in conversation. "Who is that?"

"Angelina DeLeon," Taylor said in a barely-above-a- whisper voice, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight of the one person who could instantly remind her of the horrific ordeal that had almost snatched her life, dreams, and happiness away.

"What in the hell is she doing here?" Gabriella wondered aloud, her tone an angry hiss. "I thought somone told me that she'd already scurried off back to Europe after the carnage left by her demented family of crazies?"

"I thought I heard that too?" Sharpay confirmed, eyes practically burning a hole into Chad and Troy, whose backs were still turned against them. "It's not like she has any reason to stay around her anymore now with her mother and sister gone, her cousin in lock-up, and her father practically a vegetable."

"What do you mean he's a vegetable?" Taylor mummered, unable to take her focus off of Angelina's sad beauty in the distance.

"I mean he's a former shell of the man he used to be. After what his wife, daughter, and nephew tried to do to you and Chad and the tragic affair that followed, Mr. DeLeon couldn't handle it all and had a major stroke two weeks after it happened."

Taylor gasped. "Oh my God Shar! That's horrible!"

"Horrible it may be but it most definitely is the truth," Sharpay stated matter-of-fact. "From what I heard...right after the funerals for Marissa and her mother, Angelina had her father placed in a nursing home to be cared for while she not only moved out of the family house but put it up for sale too."

"I remember when the sign went up," confirmed Gabriella, whose gaze had yet to waver from Troy's face as he continued to talk with Angelina and Chad in ernest. "It was shortly after that when I recall someone saying that she'd decided to go back and live in Europe again. Then nobody saw her around for a while..."

"Until now," Taylor said quietly, trying to shake off the intermittent flashbacks to senior weekend beginning to replay themselves inside her head.

Just then both Troy and Chad looked over in their direction at the same time, smiled when they saw the three girls standing there huddled together, and waved them all over.

Grabbing Taylor by the hand, Gabriella pulled her into the direction of their boyfriends, with Sharpay close behind.

"Hey babe," Troy said, leaning in to give his girl a kiss on the cheek, while Chad slipped an arm around Taylor's waist and gave her a sideways hug.

"Hey yourself," Gabriella replied. "I thought we were going to meet up at the lockers after last bell?"

Chad held up his free hand to stop any drama before it began. "Sorry Brie, that was my fault. I was talking to some of the team on the front lawn and Troy came to find me so we could meet up with you and Tay but..."

"Then I came along and spoiled things," Angelina spoke up, with a guilty smile.

"Oh really? And how is that?" Gabriella asked in a rather taunting voice, her dislike for this woman anything but subtle.

"Well...I saw the guys heading inside but I stopped them from doing so. Then I asked them to come over to talk with me and we sort of lost track of time for a moment."

"Actually...she came here to see about you Taylor," Chad quickly interrupted, hoping to shake the awkwardness of the situation. "She was right in the middle of giving me a message to pass along when you showed up."

Taylor turned to the beautiful young woman, who'd barely said a word before or after her attempt at an explanation and asked, "You have a message for me?"

Angelina nodded. "Yes Taylor I do. I just wanted you to know how truly sorry I am for everything my family put you, Chad, your friends, and family through. It was beyond unforgiveable and, unfortunately, caused them to pay the ultimate price and destroy our family in the process."

"I'm sorry too," Taylor said, surprising herself by reaching out and touching Angelina's hand with her own. "I heard about your father. I hope he gets better soon."

"Thank you, but it's unlikely. His scars run too deep to ever pull himself back together again. Both mind and body are traumatized beyond repair which is something I think you can relate to on some level."

Taylor's eyes widended in recognition. "To some extent, yes. But unlike your father I've recovered from both my physical and mental challenges and was given a second chance to live and love again."

"And I'm sure you plan on taking full advatange of such a blessing," Angelina said, turning to glance over at Chad with a knowing smile.

"Right now I'm just taking one day at a time. How about you?" Taylor wondered.

"Same here. Only now I'll be doing it on the other side of the world. I leave for Europe tonight."

"You're leaving your father here alone?"

Angelina sighed. "It might seem that way to some but really it's not. I love my dad with all my heart but the man I knew is gone now and nothing I do will ever bring him back. He barely even knows who I am when I do visit. That's no kind of life for me. And now that Julian has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for conspiracy to commit murder, what was left of my family, for all intents and purposes, is dead and buried."

At the sound of Julian's name Taylor shivered, which caused Chad to reach out and squeeze her hand.

"Well...I guess this is good-bye then," she said, suddenly feeling a deep empathy for the woman before her. "I hope you find the peace and happiness you are looking for."

Angelina smiled. "That's nice of you to say Taylor. Clearly I don't have to wish same for you seeing as how you already appear to have that in abundance."

"Yes. I do. I'm luckier than most."

"That you are, that you are," Angelina stated with a nod of her head. "Guess I'll see you around."

"See you around," Taylor replied, as she watched Chad take the beauty in his arms and give her a quick hug farewell.

Then with a wave, Angelina headed back to her car. As she pulled out of the parking lot, she took a last thoughtful look in the direction where Troy, Chad, Gabriella, Sharpay and Taylor stood, smiled to herself, and then quickly drove away.

_Fifteen Minutes Later..._

"Are you sure you're okay?" Chad was asking Taylor, as he had her semi-pinned against the back wall inside their favorite afterschool hangout, his beautiful brown eyes studying her with concern.

All around them other students were laughing, talking, listening to music, and scarfing down everything from milkshakes to cheeseburgers, filled with chattering excitement about the weekend.

"I've already told you at least 5 times already that everything is fine," Taylor scolded playfully, bringing her arms up around Chad's shoulders then neck with an amused smile. "You know you really don't have to worry about me so much. I'm a big girl and can take care of myself."

"Wrong. Taking care of you is my job or didn't you get the memo?" Chad teased, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Was that from you?" Taylor gasped in surprise. "I thought that was from my daddy who seems to be under the impression that it is his job to take care of me."

"Only for a little while longer and then, when you become Mrs. Danforth, the responsibility is all mine," Chad assured, wrapping his arms around Taylor's waist where he pulled her closer into him.

"Sounds like fun," she replied in a breathy voice, his nearness to her intoxicating like always.

Chad flashed a seductive smile. "Guranteed to be the time of your life."

"I can't wait. Looking forward to it."

"Good...now stop changing the subject and answer the question."

Taylor sighed at how incorrigable he could sometimes be. "I'm not changing anything. I've already told you what you wanted to hear. You just aren't listening to me."

"Oh I'm listening to your words to be sure. It's that look in your eyes, the one you think nobody else can see, that I'm talking about. I know that you're still a little creeped out by Angelina mentioning Julian's name and just want you to know that when you're ready to talk about it I'm here."

"I know you are Chad. That's one of the things I love most about you...knowing that you'll always be there for me when I need you. But believe me when I tell you I'm good. Nothing Angelina said to me today has changed that, not even a little."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Then maybe we should head back to the table and see what the others are up too?" Chad suggested, taking her hand and guiding them through the noisy human traffic to where their friends sat.

"Well it's about time you two remembered we were here," Sharpay stated, making room in the booth for Taylor and Chad to slide in beside her. "Watching you over in the corner I thought we were going to need to get the fire extinguisher to put out the flames."

"And just where is Zeke?" Taylor asked with a smug look on her face, hoping to deflect the conversation from she and Chad. "Shouldn't he be here for you to torture?"

Troy and Gabriella laughed, while Chad reached for a menu. The weekend games had begun.

_Sunday Afternoon..._

Friday night had been a blast. Saturday night too. Now it was Sunday and the homework assignments that had been put aside for fun, suddenly reappeared needing urgent attention.

Chad, Troy and Gabriella had all come over to Taylor's house for breakfast that morning, followed by a few hour's study session while the rest of the McKessie family went off to visit Taylor's grandparents for the afternoon.

Sitting around the kitchen table, the four friends toiled over history, calculus, english and civics until Chad suggested a time out to get some snacks and take a breather. Then they went right back to the books until close to 4:00 p.m., when Gabriella announced that she and Troy had a dinner date with her mom and needed to leave.

After they were gone, Chad asked if he could stay a while longer, a request that Taylor was happy to oblige. They were right in the middle of washing up the last of the dishes, when a water fight broke out which led to them laughing and screaming around the kitchen like two little kids. Taylor, who was more sufficiently soaked than Chad, finally got him to stop long enough for her to beg to go up to her room and change her top which he begrudingly allowed.

While in her room, Taylor pulled off her wet shirt and was rooting around in her bureau drawer for a replacement, when she came upon her engagement ring carefully stowed in the back. Pulling out the black velvet box, she flipped it open and smiled. Its symbolic beauty never ceased to each and everytime amaze Taylor, who didn't hesitate to place the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand, then stand for a few seconds simply admiring its shimmering glow.

She was holding it up to the light, amazed by the colors that danced within when Chad, who had been standing in the doorway silently watching, cleared his throat, snapping Taylor out of her fairytale moment.

"I...I...I thought you were downstairs?" Taylor said, slightly embarassed at having been caught in her secret daydream.

"I was," Chad said with a smile, as he came into the room and closed the door behind him. "But when I saw how wet my own clothes had gotten, I decided to come up here and get a towel. By the way...nice ring."

Taylor laughed. "It is isn't it? I love the way it makes me feel when I'm wearing it."

"Obviously," Chad said with a mischevious grin, taking in the sight of her standing there wearing only a bra and jeans, her hair cascading around her face. "It makes me happy to see it on your finger and to know that I'm the one that put it there in the first place."

The way he was looking at her as he spoke suddenly made Taylor blush under his very hungry gaze, and she remembered that she had yet to put on another shirt. Turning to reach back into her drawer as Chad continued to watch her intensely, Taylor grabbed the first top she touched and was about to take off the ring and place it back in its box, when she felt a tingle of warm breath against her neck and realized that Chad was now standing right behind her.

"Leave it on and put that back," he whispered into her ear, while wrapping his arms around her waist.

The sensation of him holding her this way, was making Taylor's head spin and her knees start to feel weak.

"What are you talking about?" she mummered with a sigh, as they slowly began to rock back and forth together.

"The shirt. Put it back in the drawer. The ring. Leave it on."

"Why?" Taylor asked.

"Because I've never made love to you wearing it yet and I think now is as good a time as any," was Chad's reply as he spun her around and kissed her exquisitely.

Taylor surrended without a single protest.

An hour later, they still lay together in bed wrapped up in each other's arms, talking about everything from what was coming up at school, to their friends, to the future they planned to have once graduation was over and done. So lost were they in each other and their own little world, that neither one heard when the McKessie's car pulled up into the driveway and the rest of Taylor's family entered the house.

She and Chad were all giggles and smiles, playfully wrestling beneath the covers, when to their shock and total surprise, Glenda McKessie walked into the room unannounced and gasped at the sight of the two young lovers.

"Mom!" Taylor exclaimed, scrambling to cover herself as Chad tried not to look like he wanted to crawl under a rock. "You're home!"

Glenda was barely able to contain her anger at what she was seeing, but managed to speak in a relatively calm manner when all she wanted to do was scream.

"You have exactly 5 minutes young lady to get yourself clothed, remove Chad from this house and meet me and your father downstairs. Is that understood?"

Taylor nodded under the heated gaze upon them and began reaching for her discarded clothing by the bedside, while Chad didn't dare attempt to make a move until her mother had gone.

Glenda McKessie was about to leave the room when she stopped in her tracks and turned a wide eye upon Taylor's left hand.

"Just what in heaven's name is that you are wearing?" she asked her daughter, pointing at the lovely diamond ring perched on her finger.

Taylor and Chad looked at one another nervously before Taylor answered.

"It's my engagement ring mom. Chad asked me to marry him during senior weekend and I said yes."

The room became eerily silent as Glenda struggled to process what she'd just been told. Then, like a loud boom, her voice erupted into an enormous shout that filled the entire house and caused Chad and her daughter to almost jump out of their skin.

"Taylor Ann McKessie! Have you lost your mind!"


	63. Chapter 63

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!

Chapter 63

By the time Taylor and Chad were dressed and ready to go downstairs and face the wrath of her disapproving parents, Glenda McKessie had already placed a frantic phone call to Lisa and Lee Danforth, pleading for them to help prevent a disaster in the making where the futures of both their children were concerned.

Ten minutes later, near the speed of a police car involved in high pursuit, the other set of disbeliving parents came screeching into the McKessie driveway, with Chad's mother leaping out of the passenger side furious enough to spit nails.

"Chad Michael Danforth! Where are you young man?!" Lisa Danforth shouted, as she walked through the front door past Glenda McKessie, eyes romaing like a hawk on the lookout for her foolish son.

"I'm in here mom!" Chad called out from the livingroom where he sat next to Taylor on the couch, her father pacing the floor in front of them about to explode.

Following the sound of his voice, Lisa marched into the living room, threw her purse down into an empty chair, placed hands on hips, and then proceeded to stare at her child as if he'd grown two heads since leaving their house earlier that day.

"So tell me the truth son. Have you lost your mind?" his mother asked accusingly, glancing over at Robert McKessie who'd finally taken a seat. "Because that is the only reason I can come up with for you even entertaining the idea of a marriage taking place between you and Taylor right now."

"Come on mom," Chad scolded, an amused grin on his face. "I may be a lot of things but crazy I'm not."

"Are you sure? In my book a barely legal, still wet behind the ears, not out of school yet 17-year-old even thinking about marriage, when his only concern should be which college he gets into, ranks pretty high on my insanity meter."

"I guess you don't plan on trying to be fair about this on any level do you?" Chad sighed, feeling as if he'd already lost the battle even before it had begun.

Staring deep into his eyes, his mother shook her head and chuckled. "Are you for real sweetheart? Of course I'm not going to be fair about this. We're talking about your future here and I am not about to stand-by and watch you throw it all away simply because your hormones are raging out of control."

Just then a sparkle of light from Taylor's left hand caught Lisa's eye, and when she turned her gaze in its direction, she literally took a step back and gasped.

"Good lord! Is that my mother's engagement ring?"

"Yeah mom, it is," Chad confessed, the tension in the room thickening with each passing second. "When I told her about Taylor and how I wanted to marry her, Nana sent the ring for me to propose with."

"She did what!?" Lisa exclaimed openly shocked.

It was at that moment that Lee Danforth knew it was time to step in before his wife lost it completely, and took her by the arm, gently sitting her down in the chair next to his.

"Come on honey. Let's see if we can't discuss this whole situation in a calm, adult manner okay?" he stated, helping Lisa off with her coat. "We all have a voice in this and it would be better for everyone if we just heard one another out and then see if we can't come to an amicable solution."

"Amicable solution?" Robert McKessie barked like he hadn't heard correctly. "Lee? Are you kidding me? The only solution to this problem is for my daughter to give your son back that ring and tell him the marriage is off, or risk being sent away to finish out her senior year of high school in another state!"

"Daddy! No!" Taylor shouted, jumping up from the couch in outrage. "I'm not going anywhere and certainly not from Chad!"

"You will go where I tell you to go young lady, especially if you don't abandon this notion of becoming a child bride," her father snapped in reply. "The fact that you can even stand there after your mother just found you and Chad in bed together and play innocent victim, tells me you are still too immature to own up to your irresponsible behavior let alone handle the pressures of a marriage."

"With all due respect daddy, just what exactly does one thing have to do with the other?" Taylor asked thoughtfully. "I know it must be difficult for you to accept that Chad and I have become intimate and yes, I was wrong for allowing it take place under your roof, as you and mom have made it perfectly clear that's against house rules, but I won't allow you to dismiss what we did as irresponsible or use it to justify your belief that we aren't old enough to get married."

"So you think there is nothing wrong with you and your boyfriend having sex in a house where two young children could come walking into your room at any moment is the action of a mature adult? Someone whose clearly ready for a home of their own and a life-long commitment?" Robert McKessie demanded.

"Again...what I'm saying is that one doesn't have a thing to do with the other. Now you can be mad with me all you want for no longer being your little girl, but I will not allow you to turn the fact that I love and am in love with Chad, and from that love we've become intimate, into something sordid and foolish," Taylor stated with a firmness of voice neither one of her parents had ever heard before.

"Did she just say she wouldn't allow me something?" her father asked, turning to her mother with a look of disbelief.

"Mr. McKessie...sir..." Chad began, standing up beside Taylor and taking her hand. "I know you're upset about what happened upstairs a little while ago, and I respectfully apologize for disregarding your rules, but none of that is why I asked your daughter to marry me."

"Oh no?"

"No. I proposed because there isn't anyone I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than Taylor. We've known each other since we were kids. We grew up together and built a trust and friendship that neither one of us ever expected. It was only just last year that I was able to be honest about how much I truly loved and needed her but, when I did, my whole world changed for the better and I don't want to lose that. Ever."

"But marriage son? Now? Why not give it some time...a few years perhaps...after you two have finished school and lived a little," Lee Danforth suggested, trying to restrain his tone of skepticism. "I mean...you're both only 17 years old. What's the rush?"

Suddenly, the eyes of both mothers in the room turned on Taylor like heat seeking missles, with that questioning look that wondered if there was a reason other than true love driving their desire to marry.

Noticing the way that Glenda and Lisa were staring at her, it only took Taylor a moment to realize what was behind the inquistive looks being thrown in her direction, which in turn had her shaking her head and emphatically stating, "Mom...Mrs. Danforth...the answer to that question would definitely be a no! I am not pregnant."

At the mention of the "P" word, both fathers in the room instantly sat up in their seats with hands to hearts, looking bewildered and horrified, like two little old ladies clutching at their pearls.

"I...I...I would certainly hope to hell that is not reason the the two of you want to get married," Robert McKessie stammered, as Glenda leaned over to pat his back soothingly, while Lisa grabbed a magazine from the coffee table and began waving it fan-like in front of Lee Danforth's face.

Taylor and Chad looked at their parents like they could not believe the level of drama each one was bringing, then turned to one another with reassuring smiles to reiterate without words that they were in this thing together.

"Ummm...mom...dad," Chad began with a laugh, as he watched Lee give Lisa the thumbs up that he was going to be alright. "I know this is a lot to handle and believe it or not, Taylor and I do get that. However, we've made a commitment to each other that can't be broken. So while we both would love nothing more than to have your blessing, you need to know that with or without it we still intend to get married some time after we graduate."

"Over my dead body young man!" Taylor's father roared, nearly leaping from his chair before his wife reached out a hand in calming restraint. "My daughter is going to graduate from both high school and college with honors and go on to achieve far more with her life then to just end up being married to a mop headed basketball player!"

The moment the insult dropped, Lisa Danforth's head spun around like a woman possessed. "Oh no you didn't just refer to my baby as a mop headed anything Robert McKessie?"

"That was totally uncalled for daddy. You so need to apologize right now!" Taylor chimed in angrily, her own temper starting to reach a boiling point. "You don't have to like our decision, but you do have to respect the man I love and plan to marry one day. Calling him names isn't going to stop me from loving him or go back on my acceptance of his proposal."

"She's right Robert," Lee Danforth agreed. "I know you're upset...we all are...but I'm not about to sit here and let you berate my child simply for that reason."

"It's cool dad," Chad said, just wanting the anymosity to die down so they could at least try to talk things out with some semblance of maturity.

"No Chad it isn't cool," Glenda McKessie said, glancing over at her husband with disapproval in her eyes. "Although we and your parents are not happy about this decision you and Taylor have chosen to make, it doesn't excuse rudeness or give us the right to speak to you disrespectfully in any way. Irregardless of the situation, I know how much you love our daughter and how much she loves you."

"Thank you mom," Taylor said appreciatively, too furious to even look at her father in that moment.

"I'm sorry Chad," Robert McKessie apologized. "I didn't mean to make it sound as if..."

"I'm not good enough for your daughter?" Chad replied knowingly.

"Yes...something like that."

"It's okay sir. I understand and didn't take offense at all. If you want to know the truth I think I'm the luckiest guy on earth to have someone as smart, beautiful and kind like Taylor even look in my direction, let alone agree to become my wife."

"What a lovely sentiment," Glenda stated clearly impressed by his words, while Taylor,who was sitting next to Chad, nearly melted to the floor like a puddle.

"It's not just a sentiment Mrs. McKessie. It's the absolute truth. Your daughter means the world to me and all I want is for us to be together and happy. Are we young? Yes. Could we be making a huge mistake and are just too blind to see it? Perhaps. But Taylor and I love each other enough to take that chance so if you, our parents love us unconditionally as you say, then you'll support us no matter what we do."

The room fell quiet at the close of Chad's speech, as the McKessies and Danforths both realized that in spite of all their protests, it was obvious that neither he nor Taylor were children anymore and would end up doing what they wanted to whether they approved or not.

Looking at her son through different eyes, seeing for the first time just how much on the brink of adulthood he truly was, Lisa reached out a hand to him, which he took gladly.

"Just promise me that before you and Taylor actually have the ceremony that we can talk about this again to make sure it's what you both still want to do. As long as you two don't run off to the nearest justice of the peace the minute your 18th birthdays arrive, I'll do my very best to respect your wishes and support your decision."

"You really mean that mom?" Chad asked, a light of eagerness in his eyes.

"Yes baby, I really mean it."

"And dad...are you willing to go along with mom on this one too?"

Lee Danforth looked between his wife and son and realized that he really didn't have but one choice in the matter, so he smiled and gave his nod of approval which made Chad happier than he could ever express.

Watching the tender moment with a small lump in her throat, Taylor then turned her gaze in the direction of her own parents, hoping to find the same type of acceptance waiting for her in their eyes too.

Glenda McKessie still looked a bit shaken by the whole experience, but when she saw the pleading look for understanding in her daughter's eyes, she gave Taylor a loving smile that clearly affirmed she was still on her side.

Then the eyes of mother and daughter drifted over to Robert McKessie, still seated in his chair like a big gruff bear, noting that little about his demeanor seemed to have changed since the start of this whole affair.

At first Taylor felt her heart drop, sensing that her father's stubborness was not yet ready to bend, but then he released a deep sigh almost as if in defeat, and beckoned her to his side. Chad and his parents turned to watch the exchange along with Glenda, who was praying that this turn of events hadn't spoiled the always special relationship between her husband and child.

"Do you truly love this young man with all your heart as much as he claims to love you Tay?" Robert asked, staring deeply into his eyes.

Taylor nodded without hesitation. "Yes daddy I do. I love him so much that to think of not being with him now or in the future is just something I can't even comprehend."

"And you really and truly promise that you will wait until after you both turn 18 and graduate from high school to get married?"

"Yes daddy. Right now all we want is to be engaged and to let that commitment guide us to when the time is right for us to make it officially legal. We aren't planning to elope or anything like that. We aren't even saying that we'll get married the day, week or even month after we graduate. Only that somewhere after that time we will want to become man and wife."

"So you're saying there's still a chance that you might put off ths wedding talk until after you both at least graduate from college?" her father asked hopefully.

Taylor laughed. "Maybe. Maybe not. We haven't discussed things that far in advance yet. But just know that whether it is before, during or after college, a wedding between Chad and I will be taking place."

"Whether I want it too or not right?"

"I'm afraid so."

Robert McKessie ran his hands through his hair with another big sigh.

"And you swear to your mother and I here and now that you are not in any way pregnant?"

"Daddy!" Taylor exclaimed with a wide-eyed blush. "I already told you that is not the reason we want to get married."

"Okay, okay...I just had to make sure again."

"Fine. Is there anything else?"

Her father grew quiet for a moment lost in thought.

"Yes...there is one more thing we need to get straight before I begrudingly go along with any kind of truce when it comes to you and Chad and this whole engagement business."

"Shoot," Taylor said.

"While I'm by no means a prude, nor have I forgotten what it's like to feel as you do at your age, I have to request that no more hanky-panky between the two of you take place in this house ever again until the both of you are legally wed. I know you aren't a little girl anymore and that expressing your love for each other is a natural thing...but I don't want to have to think about it happening here in my own home if at all possible."

Taylor nodded and took her father's hand. "I promise daddy...I will never let that happen here in the house ever again. You have my word."

"Well...I guess there's nothing left to say except that I love you Tay. All I want is for you to be happy and if Chad is the one that can do that then I'm behind you both 100 percent."

"Oh daddy thank you!" Taylor said, throwing herself into her father's arms and kissing him on the cheek.

Just then Taylor's younger siblings came bouncing into the livingroom with precocious looks upon their faces, ready to be paid attention to again by the grown ups in the family.

"If you all are done shouting at each other and have finally kissed and made up, can we talk about maybe having pizza for dinner?" David McKessie asked, looking at his parents with big questioning eyes.

Suddenly the room erupted in laughter, as Glenda went over to her only son and kissed him on the top of his head.

"If pizza is what you want baby...then pizza you shall get."

_Later That Night..._

After dining out at their favorite pizzaria, which included an accepted invitation by the Danforth clan too, both families were ready to head home and get themselves prepared for the fresh week of work and school that lie ahead.

Standing together in the parking lot watching their parents and siblings say their goodnights, Chad and Taylor felt overwhelmed by happines that everything had turned out alright with the reveal of their engagement, even in spite of having to endure a mighty bumpy start.

"We did it baby," Chad said with a dazzling smile, as he wrapped his arms around Taylor's waist and pulled her close against him. "And just think...nobody wound up being shipped off to military school or a convent."

Taylor laughed, reaching up to place her arms around his neck. "Yep. Can you believe it? I thought for sure we were both going to end up being chained in our basements and placed on punishment for the rest of our lives."

"I don't doubt for a moment that we probably came pretty darn close to those options more than a few times tonight the way our folks were carrying on," Chad joked, loving the smell of her perfume and the feel of her body pressed into his. "But you know what the best part about tonight was?"

"No what? The pizza?" Taylor teased.

"No silly," Chad said, leaning in to first kiss her on the nose, then reaching up to pull her left hand down from around his neck. "This was the best part. You finally being able to wear your engagement ring out in the open for everyone to see."

Taylor looked at her hand and the diamond upon it and smiled.

"It did feel great to no longer have to keep it a secret or tucked away in my drawer," she admitted with a sigh. "Whomever said the truth shall set you free definitely knew what they were talking about."

"Well...Taylor McKessie...the only truth I know is that I'm completely and hopelessly crazy about you and no one else," Chad stated happily. "I can't wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for us."

"Whatever it is as long as we're together nothing else matters. And in case you didn't know it already...I'm crazy as hell about you too Chad Danforth."

Smiling down at her with his heart in his eyes, Chad quickly found the way to her waiting lips and kissed her passionately, before they pulled apart just enough so that their foreheads remained touching.

"So...you'll pick me up tomorrow morning around 7:30 a.m.?" Taylor asked in a dreamy voice.

"On the dot," Chad replied, his hands now making tiny circles at the small of her back. "Promise to be on time?"

"I promise."

"Good."

"Tell me something."

"What?"

"Is it really possible for two people to be as happy and in love as we are right now?"

"Of course," Chad stated with a huge smile. "As long as they are the right two people, which we both are. Just like Troy and Brie, Zeke and Sharpay, Ryan and Kelsi."

"Wow! Talk about us all truly being in this together," Taylor laughed.

"Tell me about it. Weird isn't it?" Chad joked.

"Weird and wonderful all at the same time."

"I guess we just got lucky huh?"

"More than we'll probably ever know," Taylor said, her expression turning serious for a moment. "After everything we've been through, especially in these last several months, I've come to appreciate every day I have with you, my friends and family. Nothing and no one is taken for granted. If that's not luckier than lucky than I don't know what is."

Chad reached up and caressed her cheek softly. "God I so love you. Sometimes you just blow me away with the things you say."

"Ditto Mr. Danforth."

Their lovely moment, unfortuntately, was suddenly brought to an abrupt end when they heard the sound of their parents calling to them to come along as everyone was ready to leave.

Sharing one last kiss, Taylor and Chad walked hand-in-hand back toward their families, filled with a sense of being more secure and reassured in the brightness of their futures then ever before, blissfully happy than it seemed humanly possible for two people to be.


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

In the days and weeks following the emotionally explosive confrontation between Chad, Taylor and parents over their perceived "too young" engagement, both had discovered a newfound contentment that came from no longer having to hide the depth of their love or the intentions for the future it inspired.

Gone was the secretiveness and living in fear of being found out by family and reactions of glaring disapproval, now replaced by a sense of complete and utter freedom to just enjoy being together, spending time with friends, and relishing in all the perks that came with being seniors.

In fact, things were going so well and smoothly, that by the time Taylor began giving serious thought to the surprise 18th birthday party she wanted to throw for Chad, she suddenly realized that January had come and gone, and the first week of February was fast approaching an end.

Eager to get the party plans underway and thankful that for the afternoon Chad was occupied with basketball practice, Taylor snatched up both Gabriella and Sharpay the minute the last bell rang, and whisked them off to one of their favorite hangouts to discuss what it would take to give the love of her life his best birthday yet.

Ten minutes later, the three girls were seated in a booth drinking smoothies and sharing a plate of french fries, animated in their excitement over Taylor's ideas to make turning 18 an unforgettable adventure that Chad and the rest of their friends would not soon forget.

"Are you sure we're going to have time to pull this whole thing off?" Gabriella asked, taking a sip of her drink, eyes scanning over the list of written details that had been provided the minute they sat down. "I mean it sounds great and all but with Chad's birthday less than three weeks away, it may be stretching it a bit to have everything fall into place as planned."

"I have to agree with Brie on this one," Sharpay chimed in. "The entire idea is great and all and if it goes off as planned it will definitely be one of THE party events of the year, but there is a lot of work that has to be done and I'm not really sure just us three handling the majority of duties will be enough."

"But it won't just be us three," Taylor advised, popping a french fry into her mouth. "I also plan on bringing the Danforths on board, as well as my folks, and of course Jason, Kelsi, Ryan and Zeke."

Gabriella smiled with a sigh of relief, but that quickly turned into a skeptical frown once she went back to running her finger down the list of to do's and came across item number nine.

"Ummm...Tay? Just who exactly is it that you have in mind to secure this particular party favor? And let me just say right here and now that something like this is way out of my league on every level."

Taylor leaned over to see what her best friend was talking about and then burst out laughing.

"Brie...you're so silly! No way am I expecting either you or Sharpay to handle that one on your own. Nope...that's for me and my Uncle Shawn to take care of which I'm happy to say is the only thing about this party that I already have under control."

Sharpay noted item number nine on the list for herself and then let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Wow! You're really going all out for Danforth this go round aren't you? Am I actually reading what I think I am?"

Taylor nodded with a pleased grin on her face. "You are. I told you I wanted Chad's birthday party to be something he'll never forget. The ultimate in once in a lifetime."

"Well it certainly looks like that's your plan based on all that we have to get done in just under three weeks," Gabriella stated, already working out in her head where they could get some of the decorations and special props. "I think I'll get Troy to go with me this weekend to take a look at a few stores I've got in mind where we could get some good bargins."

"No Troy," Taylor stated, shaking her head.

"What do you mean no Troy?" asked a stunned Gabriella. "He's Chad's best friend. Surely you aren't thinking of keeping him in the dark about this?"

"That's exactly what I plan on doing Brie."

"But why?"

"Because Troy has a bigger role to play than shopping for decorations. I need him to be as oblivious to what we are doing just like Chad in order to make everything turn out a success," was Taylor's response.

"And just what exactly is it that you need super jock to do that is so important that he can't be told about the planning of his best friend's birthday bash?" Sharpay questioned, finishing off her smoothie.

"I need Troy to be the one who brings Chad to the party but it has to be done in a very specific way and it won't be as much fun or as exciting for Chad if Troy knows the punchline beforehand so to speak," Taylor explained, noting the look on Gabriella's face as she spoke.

"Well that just doesn't make any kind of sense at all," Sharpay said in frustration, throwing her hands up with a sigh.

"Maybe not now but it will. Trust me you guys. Troy can't know anything about what we are doing until the day of the party."

Taylor's friends looked at her strangely for a moment, but realized that she must have her reasons for setting things up this way and decided to go with the flow.

An hour later, after they'd finished discussing the first phase of operation 18th birthday party, the three girls decided it was time to head out to start work on their secret project, when they ran into Troy, Chad, and Zeke fresh from basketball practice.

"And just where are you lovely ladies about to run off too right when we finally arrive?" asked Chad, walking over to Taylor with a smile, slipping an arm around her waist, and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah...what's your hurry?" Troy wondered, grabbing hold of Gabriella's hand, a sexy smirk on his face. "I thought you promised to wait for us until practice was over so we could all hang out together?"

"Oh! Was that the plan?" Sharpay teased, as Zeke gave her that look before taking her hand also. "I thought for sure we all agreed to meet up tomorrow night instead?"

"What are you talking about Shar?" Troy asked, instantly picking up on something going on between the girls he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Remember at lunch how we said we'd meet up once practice was over and you all said yes?"

"Did we say that?" Sharpay replied innocently. "I guess we must have heard wrong."

"Yeah...we must have heard wrong," Gabriella chimed in, glancing over at Taylor to see if she were onboard with the game. "I thought I heard Saturday as well."

Chad, Troy and Zeke looked at each other in confusion.

"Come on now," Chad began to protest. "You girls know perfectly well that we said we'd meet you here when we were done with practice. And even if we did get our wires crossed some how, you know we always hang out after school on a Friday afternoon. That's like an unspoken rule between us."

"Well rules were made to be broken," Taylor advised with an air of non-chalance, causing her boyfriend to look over at her like she'd just grown a third eye. "I mean it's not like we didn't spend time together today before school and during lunch. It's really no big deal that the three of us have other plans and need to go attend to them now."

"Other plans!?" Troy, Chad and Zeke all exclaimed in unison. "What other plans?"

A subtle glance of consipiracy passed between their girlfriends, before Sharpay took the lead and offered up an explanation on all their behalfs.

"Oh you know...family stuff? Dinner with the folks...things like that."

Troy shook his head in disbelief. "So what you're trying to tell us is that even though none of you will probably be sitting down to eat for another 2-3 hours, it's still the reason you can't spend a little bit of time with us right now? What kind of sense does that make?"

"We're girls babe. It doesn't have to make sense," Gabriella laughed, enjoying the chain yanking that was going on as much as Taylor and Sharpay, and the way their behavior was confusing their boyfriends. "The fact of the matter is that we've gotta go now and you'll just have to catch up with us tomorrow."

"Are you serious?" Chad asked, with a bewildered expression. "You girls are really going to leave?"

"I'm afraid so sweetie," Taylor replied, leaning over to give him a good-bye kiss on the lips. "Duty calls."

"Exactly," Sharpay agreed, kissing Zeke quickly just as Gabriella did the same to Troy. "When you gotta go, you gotta go."

Then, before the guys could protest what was happening any further, their girlfriends were walking off, hopping into Sharpay's pink Mustang, and driving away.

A few moments later, after they'd gone and the Wildcats' finest were still standing there in the parking lot of the local teen hangout stunned, mouths hanging open, Troy turned to Zeke and Chad and uttered, "Okay. What the hell just happened here?"

_Meanwhile...In The Car..._

"Oh my God! Did you see the look on their faces as we were pulling away?" Gabriella laughed, unable to get Troy's last expression out of her mind. "They literally did not know what to say or do when we gave them the brush off."

"I know," Taylor agreed with a huge grin. "Poor babies didn't know what hit'em."

"Well I for one think it's great that we let them know not to take anything for granted when it comes to spending time with us," Sharpay said, completely unapologetic. "The fact that it was done under the intention of grabbing some time for ourselves to start putting Chad's party together without him knowing is simply icing on the cake."

"So where are we off to first?" Gabriella asked, knowing in the back of her mind she would have to deal with a frustrated Troy sometime later that evening.

"Let's head downtown and see if we can't secure item number 4 on the list," Taylor suggested, her thoughts also on Chad and what she knew would be waiting for her when she did finally make it back home. "I called and left a message right after lunch so hopefully someone will be around to give us a hand."

"Sounds good to me," Sharpay stated, turning the car in the direction requested, content that later she'd tell Zeke what was really going on, but for now had him walking around in blissful ignorance.

_Later That Night..._

After spending the rest of their afternoon attending to party plans, happy that item number 4 had been successfully secured for less money than first thought, the three girlfriends returned home to parents who were more than surprised to find them staying in on a Friday night.

A few hours later, once Taylor had finished taking a shower and had hopped onto her bed to go over her list and what she wanted to take care of the following day, her cellphone rang.

"Hi baby," she cooed in greeting, knowing that it was Chad on the other end, likely more upset with her than he had been earlier, since she'd turned off her phone while out shopping with Gabriella and Sharpay.

"Hi baby? Is that all you have to say for yourself?" was Chad's irritable reply. "Do you realize I've been blowing up your phone for the last several hours trying to find out why you, Shar and Brie ditched me and my boys the way you did this afternoon?"

Taylor put a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh, loving how cute he sounded when he was angry.

"Not to mention the fact that you totally blew off any plans I might have had for you and I to spend some time together tonight?" Chad continued to rant, as the smile on her face grew wider and wider. "I still can't believe you pulled something like that Tay."

"I'm sorry sweetie. Really I am," she apologized, not the least bit sorry that she had him in such a worked up state. "I thought you'd be more understanding."

"I would be understanding if your own mother didn't think it was strange too that you were supposedly planning to spend a Friday night at home."

"Okay Chad...just what exactly does my mother have to do with this? Did you call her to check up on me?" Taylor asked, surprised that he would take things that far.

"You know it," was his reply. "Since you had your phone turned off and I couldn't get a hold of you, I called the house phone and asked your mom if you were around and could I speak with you."

"Oh no you didn't?"

"Oh yes I did. What else was I supposed to do to get to you?"

"You were supposed to wait for me to either turn on my phone or call you myself," Taylor said, slightly annoyed with his macho routine. "I can't believe you did that."

"Well believe it," Chad stated, also annoyed yet at the same time longing to see her just from the sound of her voice.

"So is this what you plan on doing when we finally get married? Track me down if I don't check in with you by a certain time?" Taylor asked accusingly.

"Okay...why are you bringing up when we get married into the conversation when I'm taking about the here and now?"

"Because...I need to know if this is what I have to look forward too in becoming your wife. Will I be wearing a tracking device or something everytime I leave the house to go to the store?"

Taylor could hear Chad sighing loudly on the other end of the line.

"See...now you're being ridiculous on top of changing the subject and not answering my question?"

"I'm being ridiculous?" Taylor exclaimed, no longer finding his anger cute or charming. "You're the one whose head is about to explode just because I decided to spend the evening at home and not with you. I bet Troy and Zeke aren't giving Brie and Sharpay this kind of grief."

"Oh really? Think again," Chad stated matter of fact, as he tried to figure out how a simple phone call to check on his girl had suddenly turned into a silly argument.

Taylor decided to change tactics before either one said anything else to escalate things even further in the wrong direction.

"Look baby...I know you aren't happy about my ducking out on you this afternoon but it couldn't be avoided. I promise that I'll make it up to you tomorrow okay?"

Chad was quiet for a moment, leaving her to wonder what he was thinking.

"Okay. If you think you'll have the time," was his response.

Taylor rolled her eyes at what a big baby he was being but held her tongue.

"So I'll call you in the morning and we can talk about how we want to spend our day together then?" Chad asked, the hint of a pout still evidenced by the tone of his voice.

"Yes. Call me in the morning and we'll come up with something fun to do," Taylor agreed, an overwhelming desire to kiss and smack him at the same time coming over her.

"Great. I guess I'll talk to you then."

"Fine."

"Good night."

"Good night."

"Oh...and Tay..." Chad stopped in mid-sentence just as they both were about to hang up.

"Yes?"

"I love you. Sorry if I sounded like a possessive jerk just now," he said in that voice that made her insides go weak.

Taylor sighed, unable to remain angry at him when he sounded this way. "I love you too. Talk to you tomorrow. Sweet dreams."

"You too."

After they hung up, Taylor laid back on her bed with a silly grin on her face.

Even though Chad sometimes could push her buttons like no one else, she couldn't deny he was the love of her life and it was for that very reason that she wanted to make his birthday so special for him. Then it dawned on Taylor that with everything she had to accomplish for his party over the next few weeks, this probably wouldn't be the last time that she might have to brush him off for a little while to get what she had to done or deal with another pouting phone call because she wasn't paying him enough attention.

Oh well. The only reason she wouldn't have time for him was because of him and Chad just had to deal for now. The question is could he and how much of a handful might he become in the meantime?

Taylor decided to play things by ear and try not to let the possibility of disappointing him again get in the way, which she knew was probably going to be a lot easier said than done.

The next morning, just as Taylor was sitting down to breakfast, her cellphone started ringing and when she answered it was Gabriella on the line.

"Hey girl! What are you doing?"

"Hey Brie. Just about to pour myself a bowl of cereal while I wait for Chad to call. How about you?"

"Oh I'm up and raring to go which is why I'm calling," Gabriella said, sounding like someone who had hit the ground running from the moment she awoke. "I just finished talking to Sharpay who said that Zeke has a place in mind to get some of the items on the list for a pretty good deal and they want to meet up with us around 11:00 a.m."

"So Shar did let Zeke in on the party plans after all?" Taylor asked, reaching for the milk to pour over her cereal.

"Of course she did. That's what you told her to do. She gave him all the details after they talked last night. He thinks it's a great idea and can't wait to help. Even suggested baking the cake himself," Gabriella said with a laugh.

"You know...that's actually not such a bad idea," Taylor said with a thoughtful pause. "I bet Zeke could make a terrific cake for the party, considering how much he loves to bake."

"My thoughts exactly," Gabriella agreed. "But we can talk about that later. How soon do you want us to come pick you up?"

"Any time would be fine but..."

"But what?"

"...I promised Chad that we would spend today together. He's going to be pissed if I blow him off two days in a row."

Gabriella couldn't contain her laughter.

"Let me guess...he did that pouty little boy routine when he finally got ahold of you last night right? Tried to make you feel guilty about not spending time with him yesterday afternoon or evening?"

Taylor chuckled. "How did you know?"

"Come on Tay. The love of your life is the love of my life's best friend. They are like two peas in a pod."

"So I take it then that Troy gave you grief too?"

"Oh believe me he tried but I handled him just like I know you handled Chad as well."

"But the only way I was able to handle him was to promise to spend the day together," Taylor stated. "If I thought he was an unhappy camper last night, I can only imagine how he'll react this time around."

"Tough." Gabriella stated without remorse. "You are in the middle of planning a huge surprise party for that boy so he'd better suck it up and get a grip. Now hurry up and finish your breakfast and we'll be over to get you in about 20 minutes."

"And what do I tell Chad about our plans falling through?"

"Just tell him that something came up and that you and he will meet up with me, Troy and the others later this evening for a movie or something. Trust. He's a big boy and can handle it."

"I know. It's just that I hate hearing that disappointed sound in his voice."

Gabriella sighed with annoyance. "Snap out of it Tay. Do you want this party to be a success or not?"

"I do," Taylor replied, suddenly feeling foolish about the big deal she was making.

"Good. Now call Chad, break the news to him gently, and then get your behind in gear because we've got work to do."

_A Short Time Later..._

When Troy opened his front door and saw his best friend standing there wearing a look of total frustration, he knew something was up and that it had everything to do with one Taylor McKessie.

Pulling Chad inside, they immediately went to his room so that the venting could begin.

"Okay...spit it out," Troy stated, closing the door and taking a seat at the foot of his bed.

"Oh I'll spit it out alright," Chad fumed, starting to pace the floor. "For the second time in two days Taylor is blowing me off for no good reason."

"So I take it that you're being over here when you should be with her right about now means you and she aren't spending the day together like you said last night?"

"No we aren't. Taylor claims something came up at the last minute and that she couldn't see me until later this evening. Something about meeting up with you, Brie, and everyone else for dinner and a movie."

"You got served that line too huh?" Troy said, like a person in the know.

"What do you mean?" Chad asked, turning questioning eyes on his friend.

"I mean that that is exactly the same load of bull that my own girl gave me over an hour ago when I called to see if she and I could spend the day together too."

Chad pondered this knowledge for a moment, suddenly realizing how much in the same boat he and Troy were.

"Well it can't be a coincidence that our girlfriends basically told us both the same exact thing. Can it?"

"You mean your fiancee and my girlfriend. And the answer is of course not," Troy stated, shaking his head. "Clearly...our women are up to something. I just haven't figured out what that is just yet."

Sighing, Chad finally stopped pacing the floor and went to take a seat in the corner of the room. Then, just like his best friend had done to him and Zeke the day before, he turned to him and asked, "Okay...just what in the hell is going on here?"


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

There was still a week and a half left before Chad's big blowout birthday bash, and already Taylor was feeling overwhelmed, but not for the reasons she thought she would be.

For the most part, the execution of her well laid plans for the event to be the huge success she wanted it to be seemed to be going smoothly, with only a minor glitch here and there thus far. Both Sharpay and Gabriella had become her saving grace by really stepping up and making sure that anything Taylor couldn't attend to herself was still being carefully managed. Her parents and Chad's were also doing their part, going above and beyond to see that the tasks they were given were being fulfilled in a timely manner and to Taylor's expectations. Zeke, of course, was taking his duties as master birthday cake baker more than serious, as he was truly honored that such an important part of the festivities had been left in his hands with total confidence. That left the remaining duties to Ryan, Kelsi and Jason who, like the true friends that they were, didn't hesitate to help where and when needed.

And so, at the moment, Taylor's main concern had nothing to do whatsoever with the party in and of itself or the ability to pull it off successfully. Oh no. Her biggest challenge, and the one she was struggling with while trying to maintain a level of grace under fire, could only be summed up in one word...Chad.

To say that the love of her life was slowly becoming a slight pain in the ass was putting it mildly. Troy too!

For the last several days, the two of them had all but given she and Gabriella the cold shoulder in retaliation for what they believed was a serious lack of them being paid attention to, and clearly letting their girlfriends know that they weren't standing for it any longer.

At first Taylor was tolerant of Chad's pouting, realizing that it had everything to do with the fact that he couldn't be told about his party. And although he'd done everything to try and pick her brain to find out why their time together had become so limited and infrequent over the last week or so, she hadn't offered up enough good excuses that he was willing to go along with any more. This led to fewer cellphone calls, less time spending lunch together, and way more supposed basketball practice than could possibly be human before and after school.

And while both Taylor and Gabriella were looking past the childish behavior and keeping their eyes on the prize at the end of the rainbow, neither one could barely contain themselves when they came out of class on Wednesday afternoon to rumors around school that their fiance and boyfriend were possibly going to ask other girls to be their dates at that weekend's Valentine's Day dance.

Just the thought that either Troy or Chad would even take things that far, no matter how annoyed they were at the moment, had their the girls practically spitting nails by the time they got to Taylor's house to finalize another set of party plans accomplished.

"Can you even believe for one second that those two would turn into the biggest jerks known to man and do something so childish as to ask two other girls to the dance as some sort of payback against us?" Gabriella seethed, stomping into the McKessie kitchen, closely followed by Taylor, and plopping down on a stool at the counter. "I'm telling you, I am so irritated by even the thought of this being remotely true, that I'm about ready to destroy a pint of Hagen Das all by myself."

Nodding in agreement with her own frustration apparent, Taylor laid down her book bag, walked over to the freezer, opened it up and then asked, "What kind?"

"Rum Raisin if you have it," Gabriella replied, already going for the spoons in a nearby drawer.

"There's two. One for each of us," Taylor stated, pulling the pints of ice cream out and grabbing some napkins.

She handed a container to her fuming friend, as she slid into the stool next to her, both practically ripping the lids off at the exact same time, and then driving their utensils into the velvety smoothness, before shoving them into their mouths.

"I mean...come on Tay," Gabriella said, ready to go in for her second mouthful of anger mangement. "I know we've been a little neglectful lately of the guys and all, but I just can't believe they'd take things this far to so call teach us a lesson."

"Neither can I," Taylor agreed. "It's a stunt like this that almost makes me want to call off the party right after I smack Chad silly."

"That makes two of us, with my doing same to Troy."

"I just never realized how spoiled they were of our time until now," Taylor mused, sinking her spoon into chocolate and raisins almost like a jackhammer. "So much so that they would pout and be as unreasonable as they are being."

"No Tay. Not unreasonable. Disrespectful. And I'll tell you this...if Chad and Troy think they're going to punish us somehow should these rumors have an inkling of truth to them, both had better think again. I don't care if their behavior is based on a misunderstanding of the facts of what is really going on," Gabriella stated firmly. "This is way out of line on all levels."

"I just can't believe they aren't even trying to see our side of things. We've never not given them the majority and preference to be put before everyone and everything else in our lives until now," Taylor said with a sigh. "And frankly, I never knew that Chad could be so...well...possessive."

"Same goes for Troy. I don't think I've ever seen him behave like such a spoiled brat the way he's been lately," Gabriella mused, downing another spoonful of ice cream.

Both girls grew quiet for a moment, lost in their pints of Rum Raisin, pondering how it was that they were only just discovering this side of their men. Then, Taylor looked at Brie and asked thoughtfully, "You don't think we're being too hard on them do you?"

Gabriella almost choked on the question, but then regained her composure quickly.

"You're kidding right Tay? Granted we may not have been as attentive as Troy and Chad have become accustomed too, but that in no way gives them the right to even consider replacing us as dates to the Valentine's Dance or to put up with their version of the near cold shoulders we've endured from both this past week."

"True. But they're only acting this way because they don't know about the party."

"Taylor McKessie don't you dare start taking the blame for their bad behavior," Gabriella scolded. "Here you are...we are...knocking ourselves out to put together a party of a lifetime to celebrate Chad's turning 18, and he and Troy can't even cut us some slack or try to be a little understanding of not being the center of our universe for all of a minute, irregardless of the circumstances. No. They will not be let off the hook that easily."

"You're right," Taylor conceded. "It's just that I hate this distance between us right now. It so doesn't feel right."

"I know. It's because we love those two beyond reason that is making things more difficult than they should be. But...still...that doesn't change the fact that their behavior cannot be excused."

Just then the doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation.

"I wonder who that could be?" Taylor stated curiously, putting down her pint of ice cream and sliding off the kitchen stool.

"Well I doubt it's Sharpay, Kelsi, Ryan, Jason or Zeke, since you have them all off on some errand for the party this afternoon," Gabriella replied, watching her friend leave the room.

When Taylor got to the door and asked who it was, she was surprised when she heard the sound of Chad's voice on the other side asking her to open up and let him in. When she did, her surprise was compounded when she saw Troy also standing there on the front porch as well.

"Hey," Chad said, looking gorgeous to the eye, that sexy half smirk on his lips. "Hope you don't mind us dropping by unannounced."

"No...no, not at all," Taylor stammered slightly, as she moved aside so that both he and Troy could enter. "What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be at basketball practice?"

"It was cancelled," Troy advised, catching sight of Gabriella who, at the sound of his voice, had moved into the kitchen doorway to see what was going on. "My dad got called to an emergency meeting so he gave the team the afternoon off."

"Oh," was Taylor's reply, not sure what else to say, feeling somewhat awkward given that the both of them had been the subject of her and Gabriella's tirade a few moments before.

"We came over to talk to you girls," Chad explained, aching to take her into his arms, but not sure if that was what she wanted since he'd been something of a jerk to her the last few days. "If that's okay?"

"Sure it is," Gabriella called out from down the hall before Taylor could answer, noting how positively yummy Troy looked in his team sweatsuit.

"Come on into the kitchen. We were just hanging out and having some ice cream," Taylor offered, the warmth of Chad's gaze making her tingle all over.

Following her lead, the two guys made their way toward where Gabriella stood and, when all were in the kitchen, sat down at the table, boys on one side girls on the other, and stared at one another in silence for a moment.

"So...what brings you two over here?" Gabriella asked, cutting right to the chase.

Chad and Troy shared a nervous glance.

"Well...ummm...we're here because we wanted to talk to you both about some stupid rumor you may have heard going around school concerning the Valentine's Day dance," Chad stated, studying Taylor intensely for her reaction.

"Oh! You mean the talk about you taking some other girls instead of us?" Gabriella threw out, gazing at Troy with big brown eyes.

"Yeah. That. It's not true," Troy offered in his sincerest voice possible. "Not even close."

"So why are people saying it is?" Taylor wondered, fighting back the impulse of wanting to kiss Chad until she was dizzy.

"I don't know," was her fiance's response. "Maybe someone overheard us talking to a few of the cheerleaders and got the wrong impression."

"Well for a wrong impression, it certainly is making its way around like wildfire," Gabriella pointed out.

"We know," Troy interjected quickly. "That's why we're here. To set the record straight."

"So set it straight," Taylor said, her voice almost taunting.

Chad sighed. "Look baby...I know that the last few days I've been acting like an ass and for that I apologize."

"Me too," Troy chimed in, eyes locked on his own girlfriend.

"There is no way I'm going to that dance with anyone but you. You're whom I love and want to be with no one else," Chad continued. "Now I don't know what you and Brie have heard, but Troy and I are here because we want you to know that no matter what is being said it isn't true. And, if you can accept our apologies we'd like to ask you ladies to be our dates for Saturday night."

Taylor and Gabriella looked at one another and smiled. Then they both reached a hand across the table which Chad and Troy took eagerly in their own.

"I won't deny that at first Brie and I were taken aback and a little bit hurt when we first heard about this," Taylor explained. "But deep down neither one of us ever believed it was true. Not really. It's just that we've all been so distant lately that hearing something like that made us feel like we might be losing you two."

"You can't lose us. We love you both too much for that to ever happen," Troy stated in a serious tone. "We know we've been jerks about not being able to spend as much time with you girls lately as we would like, but you can never doubt that anyone will ever, could ever take your places in our hearts."

"Or yours in ours," Taylor said softly, squeezing Chad's hand with a loving smile.

"That's right. You two are stuck with us like it or not," Gabriella added, caressing Troy's fingers with her own.

"We like, we like," Chad and Troy laughed in unison.

"So I guess this means we have a date on Saturday night then?" Taylor asked, a goofy lovestruck smile on her face.

"Not just a date but a romantic adventure," Chad offered, getting out of his chair, unable to contain wanting to take her into his arms any longer.

"That's right. So you girls better prepare yourselves," Troy said with a wink, also standing up to pull Gabriella into an embrace.

As the two couples stood in the middle of the kitchen locked in their respective embraces, each one was grateful to feel the last of the tension that had plagued them recently suddenly vanish. Then came the sizzling make-up kisses that took everyone's breath away.

A few minutes passed before they were all able to compose themselves and cool their passions.

"So...is everything good between us again?" Chad asked, his heart racing from the touch of Taylor's lips against his.

Both girls, wrapped in his and Troy's arms, smiled and nodded happily.

"Great. So how about we hang out here with you two for a while since we have the afternoon free?" Chad suggested.

"Works for me," Taylor agreed, deciding that whatever party plans she and Brie needed to discuss could be put on hold awhile longer. "You guys want something to eat or drink?"

Troy smiled mischeveously in her direction and then down at Gabriella.

"Yeah...as a matter of fact I think I'd like some ice cream. That is if there is any left and you girls are done bashing us in a fit of sugar therapy," he said knowingly, with a wink over at Chad who was cracking up.

Both girls gasped in total surprise realizing how well their men knew them, and then burst into laughter at having had their "ritual" so easily detected.

Moving out of Chad's arms, shaking her head with a silly grin on her face, Taylor went to the freezer and looked inside.

"You both are already the cause of two downed pints of Rum Raisin. Can I offer you some chocolate chip cookie dough instead?"

Troy, Chad and Gabriella fell out laughing.

Now that things were back on track with their men, the rest of the week went more smoothly for Taylor and Gabriella. Since most of the big preparations for the party were already taken care of with only the last minute details to oversee, they were able to spend enough time with Troy and Chad to keep them satisfied that they weren't being neglected and avert any suspiscion as to what they'd been up too previously that had caused their now resolved rift in the first place.

When Saturday finally rolled around, both girls were excited about the Valentine's Day dance and couldn't wait to see what Chad and Troy had in store for them. Unfortunately, Ryan and Kelsi wouldn't be in attendance, as both had caught colds and were home in bed. However, they would be meeting up with Sharpay and Zeke later that evening, so there was sure to be fun had by all.

Gabriella arrived over at Taylor's house to get dressed an hour before the guys were supposed to pick them up, and was floored by how beautiful her friend looked when she walked through her bedroom door.

"Wow!" she exlaimed with a whistle, laying her own dress down on the bed. "Chad's going to have a heart attack when he sees you tonight."

"You mean like the one I'm sure Troy's going to have when he sees you?" Taylor joked with a grin.

Gabriella laughed. "You know it!"

"Well they did say they would be taking us on a romantic adventure. So I think we should give them their money's worth upfront don't you?"

"No argument there," Gabriella agreed. "Just let me change my things so we can get this show on the road."

_Later That Night..._

To say that Valentine's Day had turned out amazingly was an understatment.

After Chad and Troy had arrived to pick Taylor and Gabriella up, they all went to meet Zeke and Sharpay at one of their favorite restaurants for a delicious dinner where three bouquets of long stemmed red roses were waiting at the table for the girls when they arrived. Then it was off to the dance and a night of partying. At around 10:00 p.m., the promised adventure began with the guys taking their girls by the hand and leading them all outside, where three horse drawn carriages were waiting to take them on a moonlit ride around town.

Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay were stunned and beyond impressed by what Chad, Troy and Zeke had planned as they excitedly climbed into the carriages where huge boxes of chocolates were sitting on the seats, along with more roses. They rode around for about 45 minutes, until they arrived at their destination...the gazebo by the lake at their favorite park, adorned in flowers and lights, with a beautiful late night picnic set up on a blanket beneath the stars.

Once they were all situated beneath the warmth of the well placed outdoor heaters thoughtfully included with the setting, each of the guys pulled tiny little jewlery boxes from their jacket pockets and handed them to the girls who squeeled when they opened them up to find beautiful heart shaped necklaces to match the bracelets they'd been given during senior weekend.

After hugs and kisses were shared, the happy group of six ate, laughed and talked until almost midnight, when they climbed back onto the carriages and returned to the school. Sharpay, Gabriella and Taylor were all glowing from head to toe like Cinderella having just left the ball when they arrived and thanked Troy, Chad, and Zeke for giving them such a beautiful night together.

Then it was off for home with Taylor vowing to make Chad's 18th birthday party everything he could hope for in apprecitation for all the love he'd given her not only for the evening just shared, but for all the times before and all those waiting in their future.


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66

It was the Friday afternoon just before Chad's 18th birthday, when he finally confided in Troy his belief that something strange was going on.

Not only had Taylor and the rest of his friends barely spoken about doing anything to celebrate one of the most momentous occasions of his life to date, but it seemed that even his parents were behaving equally as non-chalant, without so much as two words spoken on the subject since the beginning of the week. In fact, besides Troy, no one else seemed all that interested in the much anticipated milestone that would forever change Chad's life on the path to both man and adulthood.

At first, he hadn't given it much thought, taking for granted that by mid-week someone would surely mention plans for a get together of some kind. But, when Wednesday rolled around and still nothing was said, he began to wonder if those closet to him had completely forgotten how truly special that coming Saturday was for him.

Not wanting to seem affected by the seeming indifference being displayed where he was concerned, Chad decided to quietly ride things out. However, when Friday arrived and there was still nothing to indicate that anyone even gave a damn that he was turning 18 in less than 24 hours, he became unnerved by the entire situation, needing to talk it out with the one person who'd been like a brother to him ever since they were kids.

"I'm telling you man, something is definitely up," Chad complained, his voice heavy with frustration, as he and Troy made their way out to the school parking lot after dropping off their books once the final bell had rung. "Am I suppose to really believe that Taylor, our friends...hell even my folks all decided to blow off my big day at the same time like it doesn't even exist?"

"You've got me there," Troy admitted, also wondering what the deal was, considering that all week long he'd been pressing Taylor, Gabriella, Sharpay, Zeke and the others on what they wanted to do to help celebrate Chad's birthday, only to receive little or no response to his inquiries. "Something is definitely off. Even when I tried to bring it up several times with everyone the subject always got changed or dismissed, with Taylor promising to let me know when she came up with a suitable idea."

"A suitable idea?" Chad balked irritably, glancing at his friend with a distasteful scowl. "What kind of answer is that from the woman I'm planning on marrying some day?"

"That's what I said too," Troy replied. "But Taylor just brushed off my concern and told me not to worry about it, that things would take care of themselves."

"Oh did she now?"

"Yeah she did. The funny thing though is that Brie actually started to get upset with me for even questioning Taylor in the first place. Acted as if I was picking on her or something."

"You're joking right?" Chad questioned, not able to fully believe what he was hearing.

"Nope. Wish I was," Troy admitted. "The funny thing though is that I fully expected to hear that she and the others were putting together a big surprise bash or something and that I was just the last to know since everyone thinks I can't hold water, but that wasn't the case. Taylor actually sounded like it was no big deal to her as did the others."

"No big deal huh? We'll I've got news for all of them if that's what they think," Chad snapped angrily. "I'll show them that it's a big deal alright, even if it's only you and me out on the town getting our party on. Nobody's keeping me from celebrating my 18th birthday like a rock star...that you can trust."

"I'm with you bro," Troy stated, although he felt badly that Chad was being shown such little consideration from the people who were supposed to care about him the most. None of it made a lick of sense in his mind.

Then Troy decided to change the subject slightly. "So...have you talked to Taylor to find out why both she and Brie weren't in school today?"

Chad opened the passenger door to his best friend's car and slid inside with a shake of his head.

"No. I've been calling a few times every hour on the hour since first period but all I get is her voice-mail."

"Same with Brie. I'm assuming their sick since I don't recall either one saying they would be out for any other reason."

"Well as far as I'm concerned, if they are sick it will just make it easier for you and I to get our groove on this weekend without any hassles, since it doesn't seem like we were going to be apart of anything special as it stands."

"You want to give them a call again before we go hang out for a while?" Troy suggested, slipping into the driver's seat, before putting key to ignition.

"If Taylor wanted me to know what was up with her she would have answered at least one of my phone calls or messages by now," Chad stated matter of fact. "Apparently, keeping me in the loop even when sick isn't on her priority list at the moment, so I'll leave her to whatever it is she's doing and concentrate on you and me putting together some hot party plans for to enjoy tomorrow night."

Troy smiled at the possibility of what the two of them could get into. "What did you have in mind?"

"Don't know yet," Chad answered honestly. "But I do know that I'm not about to let my 18th come and go without leaving my mark somewhere on this town. Just glad I've got at least one person I can share it with."

"You and me buddy. All the way," Troy laughed, pulling his car out of the parking lot and into the mix of all the other East High students making their mad dash for the weekend.

_3:30 p.m...Taylor's House_

Once the last phone call of the day had been made to finalize her end of assigned duties where Chad's party was concerned, Gabriella collapsed happily onto the couch in the McKessie livingroom with a well-earned smile of satisfaction upon her her face.

"All done?" Taylor asked, looking up from Robert McKessie's favorite chair where she had been hunched over a day planner filled with every last detail of the big event.

"Yep," Gabriella nodded with a contended sigh, covering her mouth to stifle a yawn. "The ballons and decorations will be delivered first thing tomorrow morning, along with the plates, silverware, napkins, and glassware."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Sharpay called a while ago and said that the DJ would be arriving to set up around 3:00 p.m., and that all the arrangements for parking had been taken care of as well. Zeke's final touches to the cake are right on schedule, and Ryan and Kelsi have a gurantee that the tables and chairs will be delivered as instructed later this evening."

"Sounds like everything is going better than I had hoped," Taylor said, pleased with the update. "Now all I need to do is get in touch with my Uncle Shawn to make sure his end of things hasn't run into any last minute snags, and to finish counting up the RSVPs we received from everyone planning to attend."

"What about the food? Has Mrs. Danforth called to say if the caterers are prepared with the final menu in place?" Gabriella asked, sitting upright to run fingers through her hair.

"All taken care of. The only thing left to do now is to make sure the birthday boy doesn't miss his own party," Taylor replied, a hint of concern in her tone.

"Why would he miss his own party, especially if he doesn't even know there is one to miss?"

"Because I figure that right about now he's probably thinking none of us care one way or the other that he'll be turning 18 tomorrow and is about to blow us off."

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked with obvious surprise.

"I mean that for the last week Troy has been trying to drag plans out of us all on Chad's behalf where his birthday's concerned yet none of us took the bait. You saw how frustrated he was with me the other day. If Troy's that annoyed I can only imagine what Chad must be thinking."

"You know Tay, I never thought of it like that. Chad's always been so laid back and fairly patient. Didn't think he might take our silence about this party the wrong way. But then I guess if I were him, I'd probably take it the wrong way too," Gabriella admitted.

"Exactly, which is why I'm about to finish up here and head over to his house and drop off this special party invitation," Taylor announced, pulling out a large manila envelop from inside her day planner. "Since I haven't bothered to return any of his calls today and wasn't in school, no doubt Chad's not too happy with me right now. He's probably on the verge of going out on a "guy" limb and decide to make plans for his birthday that don't include me or anyone else, except for Troy, just to hide how hurt he is because he thinks we've forgotten about him and his big day."

"You really think there's a chance that Chad has already made other plans?"

"Absolutely. At the very least he's considering it, again to hide his disappointment in his friend's lack of interest."

"Well then you better get a move on," Gabriella said, taking Taylor by the arm and nearly dragging her out of her chair. "I just spent the last two weeks killing myself for you and him to see that this birthday bash was a success. There is no way in hell I'm about to sit back and let Chad's ego mess with all our hard work. If a heads up now is what he needs in order to ensure that he shows up tomorrow, than a heads up he's about to get!"

Taylor laughed. "You're a pushy little thing aren't you?"

"You got that right," Gabriella laughed in return. "I know you nor I want to be the one to tell Sharpay that all her sacraficed afternoons away from her mirror or clothes shopping was done in vain. And what about Zeke? That boy is about to marry the birthday cake he's so in love with his own creation. And Ryan, Kelsi, Jason and the Danforth's have run themselves ragged too trying get this thing all in order. Oh no...Chad must be saved from himself and for his party."

"I couldn't agree more. Want to come with or should I drop you off at home?"

_Later That Evening..._

It was nearing close to 10:30 p.m., when Chad finally came home after spending the late afternoon/evening hanging out with Troy. They'd tried to get a hold of Jason and Zeke to see if they wanted to join them, but both were out so it was just the two for a movie and pizza.

Now as Chad entered his room and flopped down on the bed, he realized that he hadn't thought about Taylor for several hours, something he hadn't done since they'd become a couple. The hurt and anger he felt over her saying nothing to him about plans for his birthday still remained, but Chad couldn't deny that he missed Taylor terribly and wanted more than anything to hear the sound of her voice.

He was just sitting up to look for his cellphone to call her again, when there was a knock at his door.

"Come in," Chad said, as his father walked into the room with a sleepy smile."

"Hey dad."

"Hey yourself. Did you and Troy have a good time tonight?" Lee Danforth asked, the parental side of him happy to see that his son was home safe.

"Yeah. It was alright. Just went to a movie and then something to eat," Chad replied, pulling his t-shirt up and over his head.

"Did Taylor and Gabriella go with you two?"

"No. They were both sick today. At least I think they were. Neither one was in school. We tried to call but they wouldn't pick up their phones."

"Oh. I see. Well I'm sure you'll hear from Taylor tomorrow," Lee stated, giving nothing away in his response that would tip Chad off that he knew exactly why he looked so frustrated.

"Maybe. Maybe not," was his son's reply. "Tomorrow's no big deal."

"Of course it is."

"Oh really? Why is that?" Chad challenged, his tone a little testy.

"Because it's Saturday. Saturday's are always a big deal," Lee replied matter of fact.

"Ummm...yeah," was all Chad could say in response. "Look dad, I'm really tired and ready to hit the sack."

"Me too. I just wanted to check on you to make sure everything was alright and to give you this," his father said, handing over a medium-sized envelope.

"What's this?" Chad wondered aloud, gazing at the envelope with curious eyes.

"Don't know. Found it in the mailbox when I got home tonight. Looks hand-delivered."

"Yeah...it does."

"Well that's it for me. Sleep well. I'll see you in the morning. Good-night," Lee said, pretending to show little interest in the envelope or its contents.

He then reached over to pat his son on the shoulder before turning and waving himself from the room, closing the door behind him.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Chad slowly opened the envelope and reached inside. Out came a sheet of paper and the first thing that he noticed was that it wasn't a letter as expected, but a map! But it wasn't just an ordinary map but one that resembled a treasure map with an "X" marking a spot that declared..._"Chad's 18th Birthday"._

"Now what in the world is this all about?"

_The Next Morning..._

When Chad awoke, the first thing he did was jump out of bed and call Troy to tell him to get over to his house ASAP. An hour later his best friend arrived at the front door but was surprised to find that they were the only two in the house.

"Hey...where is everybody?" Troy asked walking into the Danforth kitchen. "Where are the ballons, cards, presents and big birthday breakfast I was expecting to greet me?"

Chad laughed. "Don't know buddy. When I came downstairs this morning my folks and sister were already gone. Left me a note saying they'd see me later."

"You mean they weren't around to wish you a Happy Birthday?" Troy gasped truly shocked, knowing how big the Danforth's had always been on birthdays. "That can't be right."

"Well it is right. Strange. But right," Chad said with a smile, going to the fridge for some OJ.

"And yet you don't look upset in the slightest. What's that all about?" Troy wondered. "Shouldn't you be on the warpath or something? I mean it is your 18th birthday after all."

"I should be but I'm not. And here's why," Chad explained, pulling the map out of his pocket and handing it over to his friend.

"What's this? It looks like...like...like a treasure map or something."

"It is a treasure map," Chad stated happily. "Handwritten by Taylor and delivered in person last night. Seems she didn't forget my birthday after all and wants me to find my gift from her by following the clues she left."

"So that's what this huge "X" represents? The spot where we can find your present from her?"

"Yep. And right after we eat some breakfast, you and I are going to hunt it down."

_Four Hours Later..._

It was just after 2:00 p.m., and Chad and Troy had already been to 10 different locations in search of the place on the map where "X" marked the spot. Both were beginning to grow frustrated as each clue they came across as instructed, sent them toward yet another clue, but not that which led to the one destination they desired.

"Are we on a serious goose chase or what?" Troy sighed, as he pulled his car out of the parking lot at one of the malls in town and sped off in search of the next clue.

"Yeah we are, but I think we're getting close," Chad surmised, not about to give up his quest until he'd found what it was that Taylor wanted him too.

An hour later, Troy pulled his car into marina parking lot and killed the engine.

"Okay, this is as far as I go. We've been running around for hours now and just keep running. Surely Taylor didn't think this was going to be fun did she?"

Chad laughed. "That's exactly what she thought and, I'm actually having just that."

"Well speak for yourself," Troy grumbled, reaching for the map which he eyed with antagonism. "There seem to only be three more clues all of them involve us walking from here."

"Then let's get walking," Chad said, eagerly jumping out of the car, the anticipation of Taylor's surprise pushing him on. "It can't be far now."

The two friends started walking down toward the berth area where the boats were docked, and by the time they reached the end of the pier and had followed two of the last three instructions, both found themselves stunned by what they saw.

A 100 yards away, waving from the deck of the biggest most luxurious yacht Chad or Troy had ever seen, smiling from ear to ear, were Taylor and Gabriella.

"What in the world are those two doing up there?" Troy exclaimed, as he and Chad made their way down the long ramp toward the beautiful brunettes waving them closer. "And who does that yacht belong too?"

"That's what I'd like to know as well," Chad said, the awe in his voice apparent. Never in his life had he seen anything as breathtaking as the long sleek lines of the gleaming boat that looked as if it belonged to royalty or a rock star.

He and Troy were only about 10 yards away from coming aboard when all of sudden, out of nowhere, Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan, Kelsi, Jason, their parents, and a large group of their friends and teammates all appeared on the lower decks waving, cheering, and holding up huge letters that spelled out:

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY CHAD!!!

Chad stood there dumbfounded as Troy began busting a gut from laughter. A few moments later, Taylor and Gabriella came running down the ramp onto the pier into each of their arms.

"Happy birthday baby!" Taylor yelled, hugging her fiance tightly before giving him a kiss that brought cat-calls and whistles from the onlookers. "See "X" really did mark the spot. I hope you like your surprise!"

"Like it?" Chad said, his throat tight with emotion. "I love it Tay. I love it and I love you."

"You really mean that?" Taylor asked, beaming with happiness at the expression on his face.

"How could I not. This yacht has to be the most fabulous thing I've ever laid eyes on. I can't even begin to imagine all you went through to put this together. And to do it for me."

Taylor tenderly kissed Chad's cheek with a smile. "What do you mean 'do it for you'? I love you silly. Seeing you happy is what I live for. And I can't even begin to take all the credit for pulling this off. If it wasn't for Brie, Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan, Jason, Kelsi, your folks and my Uncle Shawn, I don't know what I would have done. Everyone pitched in and helped me from start to finish."

"Whose Uncle Shawn?"

"My mom's older brother. He's the one who got the yacht for us. He works in Hollywood and knows all kinds of celebrities. One of them is a really close friend who agreed to allow him to use his yacht free of charge just for your party," Taylor explained. "He had it sent here by trailer a week ago, not an easy undertaking at all."

"Isn't it amazing Chad?" Gabriella gushed, wrapped in Troy's arms.

"Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it. What a way to celebrate your 18th."

"You can say that again," Troy agreed, his eagerness to board growing by the minute.

Taylor took Chad by the hand and gave him a sexy little wink. "Come on handsome. Let's not stand here and waste anymore time gawking. There is a full blown party in your honor waiting to kick off and as you can see your guests are quite anxious to get things started. We've got a buffet dinner planned with all your favorite foods, a DJ, party favors, and a birthday cake that is out of this world courtesy of Zeke. All this while we sail around the lake all night dancing our butts off. You game?"

"You bet I am," Chad said with a smile so dazzling it made her weak in the knees.

"Good. Then lets not wait a minute longer," Taylor declared, pulling him along and up the boarding ramp to the continuing cheers of the guests, Troy and Gabriella right behind them. "Tonight is all about you becoming a man and how proud we all are of that fact and to know and love you. May this be your best birthday ever."


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67

"There you are Chad Danforth!" Taylor scolded with a sigh of relief, coming up from the narrow staircase leading onto the Captin's Bridge, undeniably gorgeous in her anger. "Do you have any idea just how long I've been looking all over this boat for you, or that Troy, Brie, your folks and everyone else is asking where the guest of honor is?"

At the sound of her voice, Chad slowly turned around from where he'd been standing quietly on deck, and greeted Taylor's wrath with a smile so utterly sexy it stole her breath away, and made it that much harder for her to remain annoyed over his little disappearing act.

"Well beautiful, it took you long enough?" he teased without remorse, leaning back against the railing with arms stretched to the sides like a deliciously naughty temptation he knew she couldn't resist. "Seems like I've been waiting here an eternity for you to come and rescue me."

Regaining some of the composure she'd lost in his smile, Taylor laughed with mild amusement, although she tried to hold on to a little of her displeasure at having been made to worry. "Oh really? A whole eternity you say? Why you poor poor baby. It must have been pure torture having to wait for me to finally catch a clue and realize I needed to come track you down."

Chad nodded, his expression instantly turning from playful to serious. "It was torture Tay. Just like it always is each and every minute that we're apart."

There went the last of Taylor's resolve to stay angry.

"Well aren't you full of pretty words tonight. Don't you know that saying such things could lead to my developing a a very swelled head?" She stated, already feeling herself surrending to the warmth of just being near him.

"I do. But that doesn't change the fact that what I say is true," Chad replied, unable to hold off further from reaching out and pulling Taylor into his arms for one of their notorious kisses which she made no attempt to resist.

A few minutes later, when the dust had settled and they were finally able to come up for air, both were wearing silly grins on their faces that suddenly turned into full blown laughter, as each marveled at the passion that never ceased to exist between them.

"What in the world am I going to do with you?" Taylor sighed, snuggling her head against Chad's shoulder, her head and heart still in a daze. "Sometimes you can be downright incorrigable."

"Anything you please McKessie. Anything you please."

"Well that's an offer a girl can't refuse now can she?"

"Good. Glad to hear it. Nothing I like more than you keeping me honest and a man of my word."

All Taylor could do at his response was chuckle and move on to the next subject.

"So Romeo. Tell me...do you like the birthday present I've given you? The one that had you feeling neglected and left us barely speaking for almost a week?"

"I don't just like it, I love it," Chad easily replied, running a soothing arm up and down Taylor's back. "And I love and thank you for putting this whole thing together just for me. It must have taken a lot of hard work and obviously a lot of your spare time get it all done and so awesomely too I might add."

"I love you too and you're very welcome. But I definitely cannot take all the credit that's for sure. If it weren't for Brie, Sharpay, Zeke, Troy and everyone else to include your folks and mine along with Uncle Shawn, I never would have gotten half of it done. It took us weeks to make sure everything went off as perfectly as it has."

"And how do you figure Troy helped?" Chad interjected curiously. "He told me he knew nothing about any of this and was just as surprised as I was when we got here."

"Are you kidding? Troy was the biggest help of all, "Taylor laughed. "He was the person unknowingly responsible for seeing that you made it to your party in one piece, a very important task that I certainly couldn't leave up to just anyone given that we all know what a stubborn handful you can be from time to time."

"Did I just hear somone speak my name?" came an unexpected inquiry from the foot of the stairwell below.

Startled by the interruption, Taylor and Chad both turned and then smiled when they saw their topic of conversation climbing up on deck with Gabriella in tow.

"Well, well, well. I don't recall anyone mentioning there was going to be a seperate party to accompany the main event. Guess our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail," Troy joked, as he and Gabriella came over to join their friends at the railing, both impressed at how the future Mr. and Mrs. Danforth had managed to secure the only privately cozy corner of the yacht all to themselves. "Hope you don't mind us gate crashing your little affair here?"

"Mind? Now why would we mind Troy?" stated Taylor with a wink in his girlfriend's direction.

Gabriella laughed knowingly. "Oh no reason. We just wouldn't want to be accussed of putting a damper on the Danforth-McKessie love inferno."

"Cute Brie. Cute. But not likely," answered Chad full of humor, as he leaned over to lovingly kiss Taylor on the cheek.

"As you can see...my girl here is in very rare form tonight?" Troy explained, draping an arm around Gabriella's shoulders and nuzzling at her ear.

"Of course I am. How could I not be when this is the most fabulous party I've been too since the masquerade ball during senior weekend and the New Year's Eve party at the Evans' home in Lake Tahoe."

"No argument there," Chad co-signed without hesitation. "This is defintely by far the best birthday and party I've ever been too hands down."

"Oh really? If that's the case buddy, and I know this will probably sound like a dumb question, what in the heck are you doing up here when most of your guests are on the lower level trying their best to literally rock the boat?"

"Just taking a little break is all," Chad replied. "Everything got a bit overwhelming for a second and I needed to get some fresh air. That and the fact that it was the only way I could think of to lure Taylor up here to watch the sunset alone with me."

"Oh...then we are interrupting after all?" Gabriella apologized, her eyes growing wide, reaching to take Troy's hand in her's as if preparing to leave.

"Don't be ridiculous Brie. I'm glad you two came along. Really. Even if your timing does stink," Chad jokingly reassured. "Now all four of us can enjoy the moment together."

"Wow! With an invitation like that who wouldn't feel welcome to stay right babe?" Troy laughed, reaching over to slap his friend on the back.

"Well good. Because I have to say this is one of the most breathtaking sunsets I've ever seen," Gabriella stated, her voice filled with awe as eyes turned up toward the skyline, now streaked with reddish-gold brilliance.

"It certainly is," Taylor sighed, her focus drifting briefly from the man she loved, to the shimmering colors now dancing across the water off into the horizon.

The two couples grew silent for a moment, taking the time to enjoy the awesome gift of nature's beauty before them, while in the background the sound of music and laughter mingled together and drifted upward on a breeze from the decks down below.

When the sun had finally set and the sky became cloaked in the brightness of a million evening stars, Taylor reluctantly suggested that they return to the party, even though all she wanted to do was spend the rest of the night where she stood wrapped in Chad's arms. He too felt the same way, but agreed that they'd been gone long enough and that it was probably best to head back before his absence really did cause a panic.

The two couples had just walked down to the second level of the yacht, waving to guests who had also been of a mind to come outside and enjoy the setting sun, when something interesting suddenly caught Gabriella's eye as she looked over the railing.

"Hey you guys...am I crazy or what? Doesn't that look like Angelina DeLeon in the corner on the deck below talking to Chad's mom?"

Chad, Taylor and Troy all curiously looked downward in the direction indicated, surprised by Brie's accurate sighting of the auburn haired beauty whom they believed had retured to living in Europe, but was clearly engrossed in serious conversation with Lisa Danforth.

"You're not crazy...that is Angelina. What in the world is she doing here?" Taylor wondered, leaning so far over the railing, that it worried Chad enough to pull her back a bit.

"I take it then that she wasn't formally invited?" Troy surmised, trying not to appear too obvious in the way he couldn't help staring in Angelina's direction.

"And why would she have been?" Gabriella asked, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "The last time we saw her she was giving a farewell speech about jetsetting back to the other side of the world because there was nothing left here to stay for."

"What I'm most curious about is how one: she even knew there was a party and where it was being held, and two: was able to slip on board unnoticed without me realizing it until only just now," Taylor pondered, not the least bit happy that Marissa's sister had infiltrated their lives unknowingly and on a whim.

"Well I say we go downstairs and ask her ourselves and see what she says," Gabriella suggested, feeling Troy's eyes widen at her words without having to turn around and actually see his face.

"They look like they're having a pretty serious discussion," Chad pointed out observantly. "Maybe we should let them alone for now. Instead, I say the four of us go back to the party, enjoy ourselves, and put off grilling Angelina about her uninvited presence until later. Okay?"

Both Taylor and Gabriella were hesitant for a moment to let the matter go. From where they stood perched up above, it did appear that a deep interaction was taking place between the women, the kind that it would serve no purpose to interrupt and/or make an unnecessary scene over.

"You're right Chad. Tonight is all about you and having a good time. Angelina's being here doesn't affect that one way or the other," Taylor stated, agreeing to his compromise.

They looked over at Troy and Gabriella who nodded that they were cool with letting things lie for now and concentrating their energies for the rest of the night on having fun.

"That's what I want to hear!" Chad said with a pleased smile, eagerly taking Taylor by the hand and heading for the stairway that would take them down below.

_Later..._

After several hours had been spent eating, drinking, laughing, talking and dancing, it was finally time for Chad to cut his birthday cake, much to the excited anticipation of its maker...Zeke.

Leaving Sharpay's side a half an hour before, Zeke had gone to the galley to put the finishing touches on his masterful creation, which he hoped would truly convey the depth of his loyalty and never-ending friendship. Weeks of preparation had come and gone, and now all that was left was the impression his hard work would make on the guests, the most important of them being Chad himself.

When everything was in place and the cake mounted onto a silver hand trolley to be pushed into the other room, Zeke gave the signal to one of the kitchen staff, who dimmed the lights in the dinning area while candles were lit and the presentation begun.

Sitting in the semi-darkness amongst family and friends, Chad watched as a double-tiered confection was wheeled into the room ablaze with light, while everyone around him ooohed and aaaahed in admiration before beginning to sing Happy Birthday. Once the cake came to a stop right in front of the guest of honor, it was placed on the table to allow Chad to make a wish and blow out the candles. But, before doing so, he looked out at the sea of faces with a smile and spoke a few words.

"I just want everyone to know how happy I am in this moment to have all of you here with me to celebrate this occasion. At any age, no one could ask for better in a setting, a party, or in the love and support being shown and given to and for me tonight. Thank you."

Cheers and applause thundered through the room as Chad leaned over and proceeded to blow out his candles. Of course, in keeping with his own penchant for pratical jokes, the flames merely flickered, died out and then re-lit, bringing a roar of laughter from the crowd and a good natured laugh from the one being honored.

"Don't think I didn't know you were planning to pull this stunt all along," Chad warned jokingly, as Taylor leaned over and kissed his cheek, smiling from ear-to-ear.

More laughter ensued, as Zeke removed the prank candles and then handed his friend the cake cutter to remove the first slice with. After that was done, it was handed over to one of the waiters who continued to serve the guests, as Chad sat down to enjoy this just one of his many presents.

And enjoy it he did. The masterpiece Zeke had created, a key-lime cake with a cream-cheese frosting that melted on the tongue like heaven found, was truly to die for. So much so, that Chad had a second piece on his plate in less than two mintues flat.

By this time, the DJ had started back up from the pause in music once more, getting everyone in the mood to come out on the dance floor and work off the sinfully delicious dessert that had them all begging Zeke to bake one for them too or at the very least share the recipe.

Shortly thereafter, it didn't take long for the partying to again commence, with the guests coming up out of their seats clearly ready to get back to shaking their booties.

Chad was just about to grab Taylor by the hand and lead her out into the crowd along with the rest of their friends, when his mother came up from behind and whispered in his ear that she needed to talk with him for a moment. It looked important, so Chad sent his woman off to start the fun without him, and followed Lisa up to mid-deck so they could be alone.

"So mom...what's up?" he asked, taking a second to marvel at the star-filled sky while awaiting her response. "Everything alright?"

"Yes baby. Everything is fine, especially where you are concerned. I can see that you are having the time of your life in there and it makes your father and I so happy and proud."

"Thanks. Taylor and the rest of you all did such an amazing job," Chad gushed, almost the way he used to when he was a little boy. "I never in my wildest dreams ever expected my birthday to turn out to be this perfect."

"No you didn't. In fact, as I recall, you spent the last two weeks pouting because you thought your girl, friends and family had forgotten all about your turning 18," Lisa teased, reaching over to playfully caress her son's cheek.

"Fiancee mom. Fiancee," Chad mockingly chastised.

"Ooops, my bad," his mother giggled in girlish fashion. "Have to get used to the fact that you are now an engaged man, which of course is hard to do when all I still see is my baby."

Chad blushed. "Okay...don't you even get started on the baby boy path or we'll be here for hours. Besides, I know that's not why you brought me out here. So spill."

Lisa sighed, her expression turning serious. "You're right...it's not the reason I wanted to talk to you. What I have to say concerns Angelina and the reason she's here tonight."

"Well I won't lie and say I haven't been curious about that myself," Chad admitted openly. "We saw the two of you down here talking earlier and wondered what was up. Taylor said that Angelina wasn't even on the guest list."

"Of course she wasn't since we all thought she'd returned to living in Europe," Lisa confided. "But it seems she's been back for a few days. When she went to the house looking for the family, one of the neighbors told her where to find us. Me...actually."

"And why was Angelina looking for you in the first place?" Chad questioned.

"It's her father baby. He died a few days ago from a stroke," his mother explained, her beautiful face sad beneath the moonlight. "Angelina arrived home only hours before it happened. She said she's been seeing to arranging his burial and the handling of her family's estate up until today, when she finally sought me out to tell me what had happened."

"Oh mom," Chad gasped, his heart instantly sinking down into his chest, as he briefly remembered with fondness the fun the two families had shared once upon a time. "That's really sad. I'm so sorry to hear that."

"So was I sweetheart. So was I. That's why I wanted to say something to you about it, just in case anyone was planning on questioning or worse confronting her on being present."

Chad thought about Taylor and Brie in that moment, and how both had seemed eager to grill Angelina like she was the lost love child of Ted Bundy. He was now more glad than ever that he'd taken steps to derail that particular train before it even got out of the station.

"No worries mom," he assured, putting an arm around Lisa and giving her a warm hug. "No one's going to say anything out of line to Angelina about being here. I promise. In fact, I'll make sure to go and ask after her when we get back inside and see if I can't at least make her feel comfortable and welcome as much as possible."

"Thank you baby," his mother sighed, kissing him on the cheek, her eyes beaming, heart bursting with pride. "You've been a legal adult for a little less than 24 hours, and yet are behaving like a true man of compassion with many years behind him."

Chad shook his head with a laugh. "What did I tell you about staring in with the mushy stuff?"

Lisa smiled. "Can't help it. I'm so proud of you I could burst right now."

"Well I vote for your bursting out the dance floor instead, because I'm sure dad is ready and waiting to get his groove on with the most goregous woman here tonight."

"Is that one of those smooth operator lines you used that got Taylor to accept your marriage proposal?" his mother teased.

"Absolutely," Chad nodded, both of them falling into a fit of laughter. "But enough about me and my way with words, what we need to do now is get back inside while there is still plenty of fun left to be had."

Lisa smiled lovingly at her son, in her mind silently thanking God for having blessed her with such a remarkable human being to have raised and cared for to this very day.

"You go on in honey. I want to stay out her for a little while longer and just enjoy the fresh air. I promise I'll be down in a minute."

Chad studied her expression to make sure that she was truly okay and didn't need him in some way, and was encouraged by the smile she gave him in return.

"Alright...if you insist. But you better be down in five or I'm sending dad up here to get you."

"Just go and enjoy your party Mr. All Grown Up Now," Lisa ordered, with a gentle push. "Oh...and make sure you snag a few pieces of that cake that will probably bring Zeke fame and fortune someday for us to take home later."

"Sure mom, whatever you say," Chad agreed with a chuckle, as he kissed her cheek and then slowly walked off to do what he was told.

Once in the thick of the party again, he spotted Taylor and the rest of their friends tearing it up on the dance floor, and found himself more than eager to jump in and join them.

As he began moving toward Taylor's smile like a moth to a flame, Chad suddenly caught sight of Angelina out of the corner of his eye, sitting alone at a table looking on at the rowdy revelery, and decided to make a detour in her direction instead.

"Hey Lina," he said softly, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to the auburn haired beauty who stared up at him with tired but still lovely eyes.

"Hey Chad. Happy Birthday," Angelina stated, her voice a bit strained with emotion.

"Thanks. I just came over to tell you how glad I am to see you here tonight."

"Then you aren't upset over my party crashing?"

"Not in the slightest," Chad replied honestly. "My mom just told me what happened and I think it's a good thing to have you here among people you know and who care about you. And you have my deepest condolences for your loss. I liked your father. I liked him a lot and will truly miss him."

Angelina smiled with a sigh of relief, suddenly feeling better than she had in the last 72 hours.

After a time, following a brief but meaningful exchange between the two of them, Chad was encouraged to go live it up with his friends and not to worry about a lone guest's troubles on this his big night of nights.

Agreeing to do as Angelina asked, he reiterated that if she needed to talk he would be around, before heading off to take his place at Taylor's side again.

"And just what was that all about?" his fiancee inquired, as Chad made his way through the cheering crowd of bump and grinders, into her waiting arms. "Anything I should know?"

He merely smiled, pulled Taylor close and then whispered in her ear, "The only thing you need to know about Miss McKessie is that I love you like crazy and wish we could sneak off somewhere so I could give you your special present."

The seductive way Chad's breath caressed against her ear, made Taylor shiver and smile all at the same time.

"Are we being a bad birthday boy Mr. Danforth?" she taunted shamelessly, as hungry for him as he was for her.

"I sure as hell hope so," came his sultry reply, to which both laughed.

"Hey...Chad...where's your mom?" Gabriella interrupted rather loudly above the music, as she and Troy moved in on the pair.

"She's up on deck catching some air," he answered. "But she should've been back by now since I only gave her a five mintue time frame to be gone in."

"Well it's such a beautiful night who could blame Mrs. Danforth for wanting to take it all in," Taylor surmised, wrapping her arms around Chad's neck as intensely as his were encircled around her waist.

"You want me to go up and bring her down?" Gabriella offered, looking for a way to take a break and cool down. "I need a breather myself anyway."

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "Sure Brie...if you want. But you don't have to. My mom will be along in a moment."

"No bother. I'd like a minute of fresh air too." 

"You want me to come with?" Troy asked, even though he wasn't the least bit tired and was ready to continue carrying on.

"No babe. You stay here and keep treating folks to your John Travolta/Saturday Night Fever impression. I'll be fine," Gabriella laughed, as did the rest of their friends.

"Okay...but hurry back. I don't want you missing my best moves yet which, of course, I'm saving all for you."

"Be still my heart," she replied, placing a hand on her chest while leaving the dance floor with a silly smile.

A few minutes later, when Gabriella stepped out onto mid-deck, she admittedly was surprised to find it all but deserted, with Lisa Danforth nowhere in sight. Then, a few feet away out of the corner of her eye, she saw what looked like a scarf tied to the railing blowing gently in the wind.

Looking around suspiciously, Gabriella approached the dancing garment, an odd sensation beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. And by the time she was close enough to reach out and take the scarf in hand with curious inspection, it was too late for her to see what was coming, only feel herself suddenly falling into an empty void of space as her body was pushed overboard.

It was a good 10 minutes before Troy and Chad both began to grow worried that Lisa and Gabriella had not returned, deciding, along with Taylor, Sharpay, and Zeke in tow, to go and find them.

When all raced up onto the mid-deck and found not only the scarf, which Chad identified as belonging to his mother, as well as one of Gabriella's shoes resting beneath it on the ground, hysterical chaos erupting at it's worse could not describe the devastation of what came to be realized must have happend to their loved ones.

Soon everyone from the party came rushing to see what the commotion was about to find Taylor and Sharpay sobbing into one another's arms, Zeke staring out across the water in horrific disbelief, while both Chad and Troy hung over the side of the yacht eyes desperately searching, as each screamed out over and over again, "Gabriella! Mom! Where are you!?"


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68

In the tragic aftermath of the presumed deaths of Lisa Danforth and Gabriella Montez, nothing in the lives of the people who knew and loved them best would ever be the same again. Two events in particular began to take shape only weeks following the memorial services held in their honor, which threatened to push family and friends alike to the brink of emotional exhaustion.

First there was Troy who, in his overwhelming grief at having lost the girl of his dreams, suddenly became a stranger in the eyes of many. He who was once the epitome of the most popular boy in school, the shining pride of the Wildcat's, was slowly becoming unrecognizable in his hellbent thirst for reckless living. To say that Troy was acting out was putting it mildy, as he began driving too fast, coming home at all hours of the night, arguing with his parents over the littlest things, and blowing off his commitments to the basketball team with the championship game of the season just around the corner.

By the middle of March, Jack and Lucy Bolton were beside themselves trying to figure out what to do to curb their son's open rebellion. They knew Troy was hurting beyond rational thought or feeling, but what terrified them most was how he seemed not to care about anyone or anything any more, least of all himself. It was as if Gabriella's death had taken the best part of their son with her to the grave.

On the other side of the same coin was Chad.

Because the loss of his mother and friend had occurred on one of the happiest days of his life, he somehow convinced himself that the burden of guilt for their demise should lay heaviest upon his shoulders above all others.

Taylor tried desparately to get Chad to see that neither he nor anyone else was to blame for what was simply an unfortunate accident, but he would hear none of it. Instead, he continued to turn a deaf ear to her words and those of his other friends, withdrawing from them all more and more with each passing day, until Taylor was beside herself with worry and fear. It was already painful enough watching Troy do everything possible to throw his life away in reckless abandon and be unable to stop it. Now with Chad doing practically the same thing only in a different way was almost too much to bear for the people who loved them but were unable to find a way to help either one find their way back from the abyss of grief both had fallen into.

Then one afternoon a week before the big championship basketball game againt West High, Taylor felt a glimmer of hope arise that things might be turning for the better, when Chad asked her to go for a drive with him after class so he could talk to her alone even though it meant he would miss an important team practice. It was a request she eagerly accepted, having spent very little time with Chad lately, as these days he usually preferred to spend most of his time alone reisgned to his neverending sadness.

When Taylor told Sharpay about the get together right before lunch, her friend was equally excited about the prospect that Chad might be finally coming around. At least it was a start. Now if only they could find a way to reach Troy as well.

Barely able to get through the rest of the day, Taylor watched the clock in each of her classes like a hawk, silently willing them to pass the time quickly so that she and Chad could talk again as they hadn't in quite some time.

When the last bell of the day rang, Taylor scooped up her books like a madwoman and raced out to the parking lot, her heart pounding a mile a minute. And, just as promised, Chad was standing there by his car, a beautiful black and gold Mustang which had been his 18th birthday present from his parents, waiting for her with the passenger side door wide open.

"Hi," Taylor said, walking up with a smile, leaning in to place a tender kiss upon his cheek. "I'm all ready to go."

"Good," Chad stated with a nod of his head, trying his best to conceal the happiness that suddenly pierced the gloom in his heart from the feel of her lips against his skin. "This shouldn't take too long."

"Oh don't worry about that," Taylor assured, overlooking any underlying meaning of his words while sliding into the seat as she tossed her book bag in back. "The afternoon is ours for the duration."

Chad didn't bother with a reply. He was too busy focusing on keeping his emotions in check where she was concerned, desperately trying not to let his resolve crumble by the affect her nearness always seemed to have on him.

Fifteen minutes later, having driven in virtual silence the entire way, they finally came to a stop at a private little clearing just at the edge of town.

Turning off the engine, Chad stared out the window for a moment, looking at nothing in particular, before casting his eyes in Taylor's direction. He nearly gasped at how beautiful she was, sitting there at his side with those lovely eyes watching him with so much love and understanding it nearly broke his heart. How had he ever been so lucky to have someone like her in his life he would never know.

As if reading his thoughts, Taylor reached out and took Chad's hand in her own.

"It's okay," she said softly, sensing the emotional turmoil he was experiencing within. "Just tell me what's going on and I'll do whatever I can to help you through it."

In spite of himself and what he was feeling, Chad couldn't keep the tiny smile from forming across his lips at her offer. It was this, the giving of herself so unselfishly when he and others were in need, that was one of the things he loved best about her. It was also the very quality that in that moment made him hate what he had to do for both their sakes no matter the pain it would surely bring.

"Taylor," Chad began slowly, the lump in his throat practically choking the words he was trying to get out. "The reason I asked you to come with me this afternoon is that I...I..."

"You what?" Taylor asked, moving a little closer in her seat, while squeezing his hand to give him the courage he needed to continue.

"I need to tell you something. Something that I've given a lot of thought to and am finally ready to say aloud."

"Okay. I'm listening."

Chad sighed loudly, his emotions doing battle as he struggled to speak his mind. Then he looked down at their entwined hands and suddenly noticed for the first time that Taylor was wearing her engagement ring. Seeing it there on her finger, the symbol of the love he felt for her and the dreams and plans for the future they had made, overwhelmed Chad greatly and before he could stop himself the tears began to fall.

"Baby what is it?" Taylor asked, her heart lurching at his outburst, as she reached across the seat to take him into her arms. "You can tell me whatever it is. I promise we'll get through it no matter what."

That's when Chad pulled away from the embrace, feeling unworthy of her touch and began shaking his head in torment.

"No Tay...no...we can't get through this...that's what I'm trying to tell you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we have to call it off," Chad cried, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Call what off? What are you talking about?" Taylor asked in confusion, a feeling of fear beginning to grip her heart.

"This," Chad said, throwing his arms out like a man defeated. "We have to call off our engagement."

Taylor sat there for a moment stunned into silence by the words that had been spoken. Surely she hadn't heard right. Surely this was some sick joke that he was playing on her and that any minute he would tell her so. But as the minutes ticked by and Chad did nothing to retract his statement Taylor began to realize that what he was saying to her was in fact the truth, his truth anyway.

And as the last of her happiness seemed to be ripped from her heart in one final cruel blow, she found herself gripped by a sense of injustice that fueled her with an anger she couldn't contain.

Turning slowly in Chad's direction, she looked at him with an expression of utter disbelief and then, before she realized what she was doing, reached across the seat and slapped his face so hard it stunned them both.

"Don't you ever say that to me again Chad Danforth," Taylor stated calmly although her eyes were blazing. "Do you hear me? Not ever."

At the same time his bestfriend and the woman he loved were on the brink of their relationship being left in ruins, Troy was upping the ante on devaluing his own life by agreeing to a drag race on a tiny stretch of road on the outskirts of town.

A few nights before, while out prowling the streets in restless fashion, he'd stumbled across a bunch of guys he'd remembered as seniors during his freshman year at East High, drinking and being rowdy at one of the local hangouts.

The leader of the group, Quentin Avery, a spoiled rich kid who still had no direction or purpose in life but for a time had been apart of the basketball team until he was suspended from school, recalled Troy the minute he saw him and oddly enough asked him to join in their gathering. After a few beers, it was like they'd been friends forever and before Troy knew it he was being invited to participate in one of the group's other favorite past times...street racing. The fact that he hadn't seen these guys in years or even really been close with them while still in school didn't seem to matter much, as Troy latched on to the only form of commraderie he felt deserving of these days, considering that he'd all but alienated his real friends since Gabriella's death.

It was easy enough to fall into the lure of easy thrills that Quentin and his buddies were offering so that the very next night after their reacquaintance, Troy found himself on the side of a deserted road cheering on the thunderous roar of souped up engines and a screaming crowd of onlookers eager for some high speed action.

Of course his parents had been furious when he returned home, smelling of beer and the lateness of the hour, but Troy didn't care. He was given a warning that if he came home in the same condition one more time he would be grounded and his car taken away, but the words just went in one ear and out the other.

Now, not 24-hours after being put on notice, Troy had blown off basketball practice to hang out with his new friends to enjoy some of what he'd experienced the night before, knowing it would incite his father's fury and likely have him make good on his threat to remove Troy from the basketball team if not worse.

Standing on the sidelines with a beer in hand waiting for the first race to begin not caring in the least about the consequences that he knew were sure to follow by his actions, Troy was suddenly startled by the sound of a familiar voice that came from behind to softly caress his ear.

"Never in a million years did I ever think I'd see you at something like this breaking the rules of proper conduct."

Turning around, Troy came face-to-face with Angelina DeLeon who looked at him with a curious smile of amusement and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Angelina!" he gasped, more than shocked to see her of all people among the crowd. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh no...that's my line," the auburn-haired beauty laughed, taking a healthy swig of the beer she held in her own hand, eyes continuing to study him from head to toe. "Does your daddy know what his little boy is up to when he probably should be practicing for the big game at week's end?"

Troy instantly became defensive at her obvious taunting of his manhood, which made him feel uncomfortable and awkward in her presence.

"I'm not a boy!" He snapped. "And for your information I do what I want."

"Is that right?" Angelina inquired, that tiny smirk still playing across her lips. "And since when do you associate with the likes of Quentin Avery and his band of misfits?"

"Since a few days ago if you really want to know," Troy challenged, the heat of her mocking gaze getting to him even more than her undaunting beauty.

"So that's all it takes huh? A few days of fast living with the wrong crowd for you to replace them for friends you've known all your life?"

"What's it to you?" Troy growled.

"Me? Not a thing," Angelina replied with a carefree wave of her hand. "I know how much 'fun' Quentin and crew can be. I just never thought someone like you would go for this type of crowd is all."

"You mean as opposed to someone like you right?"

"Well let's just say my being here makes more sense is all," Angelina offered. "Q and the gang were friends of mine long before this when we were all back in school. I've had more experience hanging out with them."

"I just bet," Troy replied with a bit of contempt in his tone.

"And what's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing. Just forget it."

"Fine by me," Angelina stated with a shrug of her shoulders and another swig of beer.

They stood their quietly for a moment, watching as the crowd grew more anxious for the race to begin.

"So...where's Chad, Taylor and the rest of the East High sweetheart crew?" Angelina asked, waving to some friends who had caught her eye a few yards away.

"What is this? Twenty questions?" Troy sighed with annoyance. "What do you care anyway?"

"I don't really. Just wondered if they knew what you've been up to lately."

"Well you can stop wondering okay? I haven't really hung out with them in a while so what I do in my spare time these days really isn't any of their business."

"You mean since Lisa and Gabriella have been gone right?" Angelina pointed out knowingly.

Troy spun around ready to rip into her like there was no tomorrow for even daring to mention the name of the girl he loved, when he found himself caught off guard by the equally intense desire to not only slap her silly but to kiss her at the same time. It unsettled him greatly and put a pleased smile on Angelina's face.

Just then, Quentin came running over to where they were standing, immediately picking up on the raw tension in the air between them thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Hey you two. Sorry to interrupt but I need a favor."

Troy and Angelina's eyes remained locked in a war of wills even at his presence, until she broke their gaze and looked Quetin's way.

"What's up Q?"

"It's Troy...I need him to drive for Benny in the next race."

Hearing the proposal with disbelief all while still glaring at the beautiful woman before him, Troy finally turned his attention to the favor being asked.

"What did you say?"

"I said I need you to drive this one coming up for Benny. He's way to loaded to win my money for me and I think you're just the man to take his place."

"Me?" Troy stated, obviously shocked and in some way flattered by the invitation. "You can't be serious?"

"I'm serious as hell man," Quentin assured with a pat on the back. "I know you haven't done any real dragging before but now's as good a time as any. Besides...I've got a feeling about you Bolton. I think you might just be the ace up the sleeve I've been searching for."

"And what if I lose? You gonna still think I'm the answer to your prayers?" Troy questioned, toying with the idea in his head nonetheless.

"But you won't lose," Angelina interjected with a smile. "In fact, I think you might have some untapped potential that could shake things up a bit."

"Oh you do do you?"

"Yep. I do. Besides, I get the feeling that you probably need to blow some steam off right about now and what better way to do it than from behind a wheel of a hot fast car?"

Quentin laughed. "Angie's right. I think this will do you some good. It's time to let that tiger inside loose and show us what you got."

Troy looked between the two of them and then, to his surprise, agreed to do what they asked, even though he knew he was taking a risk with not only Quentin's money but possibly his own life as well if things didn't go as hoped for. A few minutes later, he was behind the wheel of one of the cars, ready to put it all on the line for better or worse.

_A Few Hours Later..._

Just as predicted, Troy not only won the race and the money, but also the respect of Quentin and his friends which for the first time in a long while made him feel good about himself.

After the festivities were over, Angelina managed to talk him into giving her a ride back home, which was now a two-bedroom condo in the heart of downtown to take the place of her family's house which had been sold off several weeks before. On the drive back, she explained how after returning from Europe because of her father's death she couldn't bring herself to leave again and decided to stay in town until she knew what she wanted to do with her life once again. Before it had been clear to her when her mother and sister were still alive but now it wasn't and she needed the familiarity of where she'd grown up to find that stability she sought so desparately.

Listening to her story, Troy felt connected to Angelina in more ways than he could have ever imagined or was willing to admit, and understood what it felt like to feel so lost and alone even though he did still have family and friends to lean on if cared to do so. He found himself opening up to her about everything he'd gone through since Gabriella's death and how disconnected he felt from everyone he knew and still loved but for whatever reason couldn't bring himself to be loved by.

Troy admitted that his change in behavior was affecting all the relationships he held most dear but couldn't keep from doing what he was doing even if it meant hurting them all in the process. He was most guilty of the way he had turned his back on Chad, also lost in a world of grief, and how his best friend was left without him to weather the storm of a brokenheart without Troy to lean on. His only defense was that at least he knew Chad had Taylor by his side to pick up the slack which he could not. In that regard, Troy felt his friend was still far more ahead of the game than he.

When they finally arrived at Angelina's place, she invited Troy up for a drink and to hang out for a while before heading home. He knew that he should decline the invitation but since he wasn't looking forward to the wrath his father was no doubt waiting to unleash on him, he accepted. What difference would another hour make in the scheme of things?

Walking inside the condo, Troy was impressed with the surroundings and noted the tasteful furniture and artwork on the walls, which all seemed to indicate someone older than 22 years of age as its resident.

Angelina told him to make himself comfortable and to grab a beer from the fridge while she went to change her clothes in the other room. As he waited for her to return, Troy walked around taking in all that he saw when his eyes caught sight of a picture on one of the end tables that took him by complete surprise. In it he, Chad, Zeke and Jason were on the basketball court during one of last season's games, while in the background Taylor, Sharpay, Kelsi, Ryan and Gabriella could be seen in the stands yelling their heads off and applauding. Looking at all of them together like that during happier times before everything had gone to hell shook Troy to the bone and instantly brought tears to his eyes.

"I'm sorry," came Angelina's voice in a soft whisper, causing him to look up into her eyes that were filled with soothing kindness. "I'd forgotten that I had that there."

Troy cleared his throat as he placed the picture back down on the table and wiped a hand across his face.

"I'm surprised you would even have such a picture of me and my friends like this in your home. It almost seems out of place."

"Yes...I suppose it does," Angelina stated thoughtfully. "But I was at that game indulging in my secret passion for photography and it was one of the best ones I've ever taken. Something in the way I captured that moment with all of you in it touched me from the minute it was developed. I was very proud of having caught it on film."

Troy didn't know how to respond so he looked away and walked over to stare out the window. Angelina followed.

"You know it's okay to feel like you do right now," she stated gently. "There is no one way to act when your life has fallen apart leaving you to helplessly pick up the pieces."

"No Angelina...it isn't alright." Troy replied in a voice tight with emotion. "It's not alright that the girl I love has been taken from me. It's not alright that I've abandoned someone who has been like a brother to me my entire life when he needs me most and has lost just as much as I have with a woman who was like a second mother to me. It's not alright that I'm blowing off my friends, parents and school like none of them matter. It's not alright that I may walk into my house later from now and have my father tell me he's kicking me off the basketball team because I ditched practice today so I could go and put my life on the line with Quentin and his friends. Most of all, it's not alright that I'm here with you in the last place I need to be right now while my head is in this crazy state."

"And why is being here with me wrong Troy?" Angelina asked, reaching over to turn his face in her direction.

"Because...because..." he stammered, unable to break his gaze from those startling green eyes which seemed to be boring into his soul.

"Because why?"

"Because this," Troy snapped, suddenly grabbing Angelina by the arms and pulling her to him where he proceeded to kiss her with such ferociousness it scared them both.

Then, realizing the insanity of his behavior, he pushed her roughly away with a glare in his eye.

"I can't do this and I won't!" Troy screamed, shoving his bottle of beer into Angelina's hand and then racing past her for the front door he couldn't get out of quick enough.

After he'd been gone a few minues, she put the bottle to her lips with a sigh and took a long sip, trying to grasp what had just happened although there wasn't much to ponder. Angelina knew exactly what was going on at least from her end, and it was just a matter of time before Troy allowed himself to do the same. She could wait, just as she had been all along.

Taylor was just walking into her room after Chad had dropped her off when her cellphone rang with a frantic Sharpy about to die on the other end.

"So tell me! What happened? What did Chad need to talk to you about."

"You don't want to know Shar," Taylor said in a voice as exhausted as she felt.

"Of course I want to know why else would I be calling? Were you finally able to break down some of his walls and get him to open up?" Sharpay asked anxiously.

"Oh his walls broke down alright but I think I would have preferred them to have stayed up if you know what I mean?"

"No Taylor I don't know. What are you talking about because you aren't making a hell of a lot of sense right now."

"He wants to call off our engagement Sharpay," Taylor confided with a sigh, as she sat down on her bed ready to cry. "That's what the big talk was all about. Him wanting to end things between us."

"What! Are you joking?" Sharpay exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Why in the world would Chad want to break off your engagement when he's so crazy in love with you he can barely stand it?"

"Because he doesn't think he's right for me anymore. Says he needs to be there for his family now that his mom is gone and that he can't dream of us getting married and going off together when he can't possibly think about leaving his father and sister alone."

"But that's...that's...that's crazy," Sharpay stammered. "Chad can't really mean that."

"He does mean it and that's what scares me," Taylor said, wishing she could forget the last few hours of her doing everything possible to get Chad to change his mind. "I even slapped him in his face and told him that was unacceptable but he wouldn't budge."

"You slapped him?" Sharpay gasped.

"Yes I slapped him. I was so angry at him for wanting to shut me out of his life that it just happened."

"And even that didn't bring him to his senses?"

"No. It stunned him to be sure. But he said he understood my anger but that it was still for the best and how he didn't want me sitting around wasting my life waiting for him."

"You poor baby. I'm so sorry," Sharpay apologized, feeling badly for her friend. "First Troy goes nuts and now Chad. Has the whole world gone crazy?"

"It sure as hell seems like it," Taylor groaned. "Nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing. We lose Brie and Mrs. Danforth for no good reason whatsoever, and in the aftermath Troy and Chad have turned into strangers right before our eyes. Is this madness ever going to stop?"

"I don't know sweetie. I really don't. But you promise me that you won't give up on Chad. I don't care what he says I know he loves you more than life itself. You cannot let him throw your happiness away for some crazy sense of duty."

"I promise Shar but it's so difficult. I want to help him and Troy to, we all do. I just don't know how anymore," Taylor conceeded desparately.

"I feel the same but we can't give either of them up without a fight no matter how much they keep trying to push us away. We'll just have to think of something okay?"

"Okay."

"In the meantime, try and relax tonight. Take your mind off things and just chill if you can," Shapray suggested, although she was having a hard time believing in her own words of advice. "Everything will look better tomorrow."

"I hope so. Talk to you then," Taylor said, hanging up the phone.

She laid her head down upon the pillows on her bed and finally allowed the tears she'd been holding back to flow freely. Thoughts of Gabriella and Lisa began to play in Taylor's mind. And while she missed them both terribly, she couldn't help feeling angry at her bestfriend and the woman who was to have been her future mother-in-law for having left them this way, lost and torn apart. It just wasn't fair.


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69

It was the following day. A turning point.

After drag races, stolen kisses, broken engagements, and yet another missed practice with their teammates, both Troy and Chad were sternly summoned to Coach Bolton's office right before the start of second period with explicit instructions not to be late.

Having barely seen or spoken to one another for several weeks on end, it was an awkward coming together for the best friends, whom barely knew what to say to one another when finding themselves face-to-face again.

They each noticed how the other looked tired and not quite himself, realizing that having been absent from the other's life even for a short time had played just as big a part in the grief both were learning to live with, as did the deaths of the loved ones whom they desparately missed.

Not since the time when they were in the third grade and had gotten seperated overnight in the woods behind Joey Sanchez' house, had the two been so happy to see the one another, even if at first it didn't completely show on their faces.

"Hey," Troy called out a bit cautiously, as Chad walked up, coming to a stop by their lockers, which were side-by-side. "Long time no see."

"Hey yourself," Chad answered, aware that it seemed more like years than weeks since they'd last taken the time to check in with each other. "What'cha been up too?"

Troy paused for a moment not sure what to say, then slowly smiled at the one who knew him best and shrugged his shoulders hopelessly.

"Screwing up my life and doing a damn good job of it. How bout you?"

Chad stared at him blankly for a moment and then something occurred which hadn't happened in a very long time...he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Troy asked, unable to keep a smile from his own face. "I'm totally serious."

"Yeah. That's what so funny, the fact that I know you are. It's probably why you and I will be stuck with each other for rest of our lives," Chad nodded, continuing to chuckle. "Nobody else could be making as much of a mess of his life as you right now but me."

This long awaited affirmation that both had been needing from the other for far too long caused them to burst into full blown laughter that echoed through the otherwise empty lockeroom. Then slowly the two friends moved into a manly embrace and held each other for a few seconds, happy in knowing that in spite of everything they had and were still going through, what mattered most between them hadn't been lost after all.

When Coach Bolton walked in on Chad and his son, he halted in the shadows for a moment quietly observing, giving a silent prayer of thanks for what he he saw, hoping it was the turning point both young men needed to get their lives back on track. They were more then just friends. They were brothers.

With a mischevious grin full of pride, Jack cleared his throat loudly to signal his presence in the room.

"Ummm...excuse me for interrupting Thelma and Louise, but if you both have a minute I'd like to see you in my office now."

"Sure dad," Troy replied, turning back to his friend and holding up a hand for Chad to give a hi-five to before they went inside.

When they were finally seated before Coach Bolton's desk, the ticking of the wall clock the only sound to be heard, both suddenly realized just what was at stake with this meeting. Because of their thoughtless behavior in the past weeks they now could be on the verge of losing not only the biggest game of their lives and a fitting tribute to senior year, but the respect of their teammates and the man who belived in them completely as well.

"Before I get started on why I asked you both down here," Coach Bolton began, sensing the nervous tension in the air, "I just want to say I'm very very happy to see the two of you acting like best friends again."

"Thanks Coach," Chad stated with a quick smile in Troy's direction. "I have to admit that it's the first time in a long while that my life makes any sense or seems almost close to normal."

"I'll second that," Troy chimed in.

"Well that's good to hear coming from the both of you," his father praised, although his tone was serious and a bit stoic. "Which leads me to move on to what this is really all about...brotherhood and most importantly respect. Not just for me or your teammates but for yourselves."

"Yes sir," the two friends responded in unison. "We get that."

"Do you?" Coach Bolton wondered curiously. "Because it seems to me that for quite some time now neither one of you have been behaving as if you get it or that you give a damn about anyone but yourselves, and please do not mistake what I'm saying here. We've all suffered through a terrible tragedy and loss over the last month and a half, one that has changed all our lives forever. But it seems to me that while everyone else who loved Gabriella and Lisa have had to find the strength and courage to carry on without them, the two of you have used it as an excuse to disappoint not only the people who depend on you, but each other, and most of all yourselves."

Chad and Troy shot each other worried looks back and forth under Coach Bolton's unwavering gaze.

"Now, what I want from the both of you is this...a promise that for the next 3 days you will completely commit yourselves to this team 100. No excuses, no missed practices, no late nights. I want to see sweat, determination and leadership. If you can show me that then I'll allow you to play in Saturday's championship game, which by the way will have several college recruiters in the house looking to make up their minds on scholarships. This is your one and only shot to make things right for your teammates and one another."

Unexpectedly, Chad's thoughts suddenly drifted to his mother. He knew Lisa would want him to get his head in the game and not use her absence as an excuse to give up his dreams or promise of a bright future. It was the same for Troy as well, who for a moment saw Gabriella's lovely face flash in his mind's eye, that smile of hers as radiant as light, telling him to stop hiding behind his grief and once again become the young man she knew and loved.

"So fellas...what's it going to be?" Jack Bolton asked, sitting forward in his chair, silently hoping that his words had managed to bring them both back from the edge even if only a little bit. "Can I start counting on the two of you to lead this team to victory two years in a row?"

"I'm in coach," Chad said without hesitation.

"Me too," Troy replied.

"Great! Great!" Coach Bolton stated, pleased that his boys seemed to finally be coming around after weeks of unsettling behavior. "Then I can expect to see you both here at 2:45 p.m. sharp, suited up and ready for practice?"

"Absolutely."

"Well then I guess there's nothing else to say except you need to get out of here and head off to your classes. I'll square things with each of your teachers."

"Sounds like a plan," Troy stated, rising up from his seat to shake his father's hand, followed by Chad who did the same. "We'll catch up with you later in the gym."

"2:45 p.m. sharp."

"2:45," both replied in unison over their shoulders, as they headed out of the office.

After they had gone, Jack Bolton sat back down behind his desk with a sigh wearing the first genuine smile he'd worn in weeks. Maybe, just maybe, this was the end of the self-destructive behavior both had been engaging in that would only make moving forward with their lives that much harder the longer they refused to face the reality of the situation they found themselves in. If nothing else, it was at the ver least a start.

Later in the day, Chad and Troy did something else they hadn't done in a while which was to show up together at lunch with their friends. When they stepped to the table where Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan, Kelsi, Taylor and Jason were sitting, all conversation immediately suspended itself in mid-air. The girls literally gasped while the guys just nodded their heads and then broke out into huge smiles.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in," Sharpay commented in near disbelief, the fork in her hand slipping loudly onto her plate. "Are my eyes deceiving me or what?"

Chad and Troy chuckled.

"No Shar. It's us. Long time no see."

Sharpay snorted. "You got that right. And while I should probably rip you both a new one for staying away so long, I'll be the bigger person and admit that I'm really glad to see you back."

"Here, here," Jason, Ryan and Zeke chimed in, moving aside on the benches to make room.

"Thanks guys," Troy said sliding in between Ryan and Kelsi, who sweetly reached up and patted him on the shoulder with a tiny smile.

"Yeah, it's good to be back," Chad agreed, side-stepping his natural instinct to sit down next to Taylor by purposely moving to the other side of the table, where he slid in beside Zeke, careful to avoid the pull of her big brown eyes.

Taylor allowed him his play for supposed safe distance between them, but after a while couldn't help being amused by how difficut it was for him to keep his attention off her for 10 seconds at a time.

When lunch was over and they were all filing out of the cafeteria to head off to their afternoon classes, Taylor attempted to grab a moment alone with Chad. He, however, knew that being too close to her physically would weaken the resolve of his words about letting go, not to mention continue to give her hope that she could some how change his mind. So he quickly ducked out of reach before Taylor was able to corner him and dashed off to English knowing that his actions were in some way cowardly.

Later that day, when the final bell rang and Chad was rushing off to to suit up for practice, Troy caught up with him in the hallway and bluntly asked his friend what was going on with he and Taylor. Chad's reply was to give a look that clearly said "leave it alone", as he turned and began walking in the direction of the gym unwilling to discuss things further.

"Why won't you just tell me what is going on?" Troy complained, as he and Chad entered the boy's locker room already starting to fill up with the other members of the team. "I know I wasn't imaging things when I saw you at lunch together today, but bolt from Taylor when she tried to approach you right after lunch? What the heck was that all about?"

"Do me a favor and drop it okay?" Chad replied somewhat defensively, beginning to change clothes. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Did you two have a fight or something?" Troy persisted, also starting to disrobe when he saw his father stick his head inside the room and then motion to his watch indicating they only had a few more mintues to get dressed and courtside.

"What part of 'I don't want to talk about it' didn't you understand?" Chad snapped, lacing up his tennis shoes.

"Since when don't you and I talk about things huh?" Troy accused, slipping his jersey over his head with a sigh. "As far back as I can remember we've always come to each other for help when things got rough. What's changed now?"

Chad glanced over at Troy with a puzzled look, then shook his head slowly from side-to-side.

"Everything's changed man. Can't you see that? You've changed. I've changed. Nothing about our lives will ever be the same again."

"I get that Chad. But what does that have to do with you no longer wanting to be honest with me?" Troy reasoned.

Zeke and Jason, standing only a few feet away, perked their ears up to the conversation taking place, as the rest of the team began filing out of the locker room until it was just the four of them left.

"Who says I'm not being honest with you?" Chad stated, getting up from the bench with a sigh. "I just don't want to talk about Taylor right now is all."

"And my question is why? Why wouldn't you want to talk to your best friend about the woman you are in love with and plan to marry some day. Is it because you think I'm so far gone after losing Brie that I can't still be happy that you have the person you love most in the world still by your side and I don't?"

"No...of course not," Chad apologized. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what's it' like?" Troy pushed, knowing that they were messing with the promise to his father that they would be on time for practice.

"I called off our engagement okay," Chad surrendered, leaning against the lockers with a tired sigh. "I told the woman I love that we can't be together anymore. You happy now?"

Troy, Jason and Zeke all looked at each other in total bewilderment.

"You told Taylor you weren't going to marry her? Why in the hell would you do something as stupid as that?"

"Because I had to Troy. Because it was best for everybody. My mother's death changed everything for me and now I owe it to her to keep my family together even if some sacrifices have to be made."

"You're kidding right? You don't honestly believe that you have to sacrifice your future with Taylor in order to hold on to your family do you?"

"Yeah I do. Corrine is just a baby and needs me to be there to help her get through this since my father can barely get out of the bed in the morning now. I can't abandon them so I can run off and start a new life with both Taylor and college. And it wouldn't be fair to Tay to have wait around until I'd made things right again. She deserves better than that."

"You know what Chad?" Troy said with a low whistle under his breath. "You are some kind of idiot. Just like Gabriella, Taylor is the kind of girl...woman that comes along but once in a lifetime and you're willing to throw that all away so you can use your family to hide behind."

Jason and Zeke both gasped.

"Oh...you mean unlike you with your drag racing, late nights and little trips to Angelina DeLeon's crib because you're handling Brie's loss so well?" Chad retaliated with an edge of anger to his voice. "Given the circumstances, I don't think you're the one to be lecturing me on how to cope with the decisions I make in my life Troy Bolton."

"Who told you about Angelina?" Troy demanded with a twinge of guilt.

"Does it really matter? The point is that you can't lecture me on how I want to deal with my life, when your running around with the woman whose mother and sister tried to kill Taylor and I less than two months after Gabriella's death!"

The room suddenly grew eerily quiet as the best friends seemed almost ready to square off for one another in an all out showdown, when one of the assistant coaches barked into the locker room for them to get their asses upstairs pronto.

Chad and Troy ended things more or less at a stand-off, trading frustrated looks in each other's direction before heading to the gym.

_Three Hours Later..._

Although Jack Bolton had been annoyed that "his boys" nearly missed being on time for practice by mere seconds after promising otherwise, he couldn't deny that having both back on the court again was a definite morale booster. The other players had stepped up their game considerably with Chad and Troy in the mix, making for a well-rounded workout that did them good as a team. However, being as intuned to his players as he was, Jack also noted some tension between the best friends, perhaps maybe even anger, and hoped that whatever the drama, it held until after Saturday's game.

Once Chad had showered and changed, he wasted no time in vacating the locker room, managing to slip off before Troy stepped out of the shower, ready to start in on him again.

As he walked to his car in the student parking lot, the glow of the late evening sun casting a streak of gold across the sky, Chad let his thoughts drift to Taylor and the way he had treated her earlier at lunch. It killed him to think that he might have hurt her feelings by his actions and it only made him realize that his decision to call off their engagement had been the right thing to do after all. She was better off without him.

But deep down Chad didn't buy that as truth anymore than Taylor did, which is why when he heard footsteps approaching from behind as he stepped up to his car, he turned with ease just knowing it couldn't be anyone else, and spoke her name softly.

"Taylor," he said almost with a sigh, for the moment all resolve fading away at just having her near again.

Then shock and surprise suddenly took over as Chad found himself standing face-to-face with Angelina DeLeon.

"Hey Chad," the beautiful young woman greeted, as if she were the one he had truly hoped to see.

"Hey Angelina," Chad replied, regaining his composure after being thrown so off guard. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him seductively and moved a little closer.

"I was hoping to find Troy hanging around. I wanted to talk to him about something."

"Oh really?" Chad stated, warning bells going off in his head. "And what could you and Troy possibly have to talk about? Last time I checked, you and he weren't even in the same league supposedly."

Angelina laughed softly as she moved to lean against his car.

"Chad. Chad. You might be surprised to learn that things aren't always as they appear and that misperceptions are easily taken too."

"So are you trying to tell me that you and Troy are now friends?"

"No. I wouldn't exactly call us friends. But we have been spending time together the last few days...getting to know one another better," Angelina confided, amused by the look of frustration she saw on Chad's face at her words. "Funny how fate takes you places you never thought you'd go."

"Oh yeah? And what places do you think Troy can take you Angelina? Or aren't you the one in the driver's seat right now?" Chad implied accussingly.

"If I didn't know you any better Chad Danforth I'd say you were jealous," Angelina taunted with a smile. "Is that it? Your finally done with Taylor and now are ready for a real woman?"

Chad looked at her like she was crazy. Was he really hearing what he was hearing coming out of her mouth?

"Look Angelina, I don't know what games you think you are about to start playing with Troy's head but as his life-long best friend, let me suggest that you don't," Chad warned coldly. "He's been through enough as it is and the last thing he needs is to be involved with the sister of the girl who tried to murder me and Taylor."

At the mere mention of Marissa thrown so callously into the exchange, Angelina couldn't control the impulse that came over her hand, which rose swiftly in an attempt to slap Chad across the face, but was countered by his grabbing of her wrist with her hand just inches from impact with his cheek. He held her like that for a few seconds, his grip tightening just a bit as he watched her try to squirm from his grasp.

Then Angelina did something that Chad couldn't believe when she stepped even closer, glared into his eyes and then before he could protest, leaned in and captured his lips in a searing kiss. And of course it was at that particular moment that Troy, Jason and Zeke came walking out of the gym taking in the scene with stunned looks on their faces. Then, to make matters worse, Taylor suddenly pulled up behind the wheel of her mother's car, having decided to meet up with Chad after practice in the hopes that they could talk things out.

When Chad heard the sound of Taylor's car screeching to a halt, he was finally able to pull Angelina off of him only to be confronted with a look of disappointment in Taylor's eyes that felt like a stake being driven through his heart.

"Now baby...baby...let me explain," Chad began, shoving past the tall auburn-haired beauty in an attempt to get to Taylor before she took everything she'd witnessed out of context. "It's not what it looks like."

Angelina watched him literally go off begging with a smile of satisfaction on her face, just as Troy and the others approached.

"What the hell is going on here?" Troy demanded, turning in Chad and Taylor's direction, not liking the discord he saw between them. "Did I just see the two of you kissing?"

"It was harmless Troy, really it was," Angelina explained non-chalantly. "Neither one of us meant for it to happen. It just did. It means nothing."

"You call kissing someone else's fiancee nothing!"

"Well if Taylor's gonna let an innocent kiss get to her than she probably isn't ready to be anyone's wife yet. You think?"

Troy was about to say something really nasty to counter Angelina's unaffected confidence, when he suddenly heard Taylor screaming at Chad at the top of her lungs.

"No Chad! No! I don't want to hear it! First you push me away for weeks not allowing me to be there for you in your greatest time of need. Then you blow off your friends and the team! Next you decide all on your own that I'd be better off without you and breakoff our engagement and now this! Kissing on the woman whose family tried to take both our lives and for which others paid with theirs! This is just sick and sad and I want no part of it! Here!"

And with a angry yank at her hand, Taylor snatched off the engagement ring she loved so dearly and flung it at Chad out the driver's side window.

"You were right," she shouted, tears now streaming down her face. Not caring if she was making a scene. "I damn sure do deserve better than you. Thanks for keeping me from making the biggest mistake of my life!"

Chad had to practically jump out of the way as Taylor threw the car in gear and zoomed off down the lot and out of the main gate. He stood there for a few moments as if in a daze, his expression one of total confusion. One minute he was heading home the next he was being kissed by Angelina of all people, and being disavowed by the woman he loved.

When he turned around he found all eyes upon him, only serving to make the situation worse.

Zeke and Jason didn't know what to say, and Angelina just stood there smirking with self-satisfaction, while she kept a watchful eye on Troy to see what he would do. She didn't have to wait long before he marched over to his best friend, gave him the up and down, and then out of nowhere, punched Chad in the face.

"That's for Taylor!" Troy growled angrily, shooting a look in the direction of his other friends before stomping off to his car, not caring whether or not he'd hurt Chad in anyway.

Angelina followed behind Troy, with only a quick glance of satisfaction over her shoulder at the one who had broken her sister's heart, before all thougths of him were easily forgotten. Now all of her attention was focused on Troy who was more than little wound up from all that had just transpired.

A few minutes later, Jason, Zeke and Chad watched as Angelina climbed into Troy's car and the two sped off, much to their disbelief.

"Okay! What the hell is going on around here?" Zeke questioned. "Have you and Troy gone completely crazy or what?"

Chad pulled himself up off the ground and shook his head as he went to get into his car.

"No man it's not us," he stated, looking sadly at his friends faces. "It's the world we thought we knew and could count on that's gone crazy and nothing but. Welcome to it."


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 70

"What in the hell...Did I just hear you right?" Sharpay gasped from the foot of her bed, rearing back in shock, eyes fixed on Taylor as if she'd completely lost her mind. "You're telling me that not 20 minutes ago you drove up on Chad swapping tongues with Angelina DeLeon?"

"Yes Shar. You heard me right," Taylor confessed, her voice tight with emotion. "Marissa's older sister was putting the moves on my fiancee...ex-fiancee...and he just stood there and let her do it." 

"You mean he was into it?" Sharpay gasped again, now leaning forward with even more disbelief upon her face. "Is that what you're telling me?"

Taylor thought about it for a moment and then slowly shook her head. 

"No it wasn't that he was into it...just...just that he wasn't fighting her off him either. I tell you Shar when I think about it I get sick to my stomach."

"I bet," Sharpay said with a sigh, sliding off the bed and walking over to the window-seat where she eased down beside her friend. "Seeing Chad intimate with any girl would be hard enough, but the fact that it was with the sister of the psycho and her mother who tried to kill you both has got to majorly hurt." 

"It does," Taylor agreed, a tear rolling down her cheek, as she gave a heavy sigh. "But that isn't what has me so upset. Not really?"

"It doesn't? Why not?" 

"Because, even though I hated seeing Chad and Angelina together like that, I know in my heart that he only still loves me. Whatever that was I saw was no doubt something that Angelina forced on him as part of a sick game she has to be playing." 

"Yeah Tay...but how could she be playing games with Chad to get to you if neither of them even knew you were going to be there? I mean..it wasn't planned on your part. You just went to see Chad on impulse. There's no way they could have known you would drive up precisely when you did to see what you saw if the true intent of that kiss was to cause trouble."

"But what if it was meant to be seen by someone else and I got in the way of that or at least changed the rules up a bit unexpectedly?" Taylor reasoned. "Then it would start to make some sense."

Sharpay nodded in agreement. "So does that mean that you forgive Chad and are ready to put that engagement ring back on your finger that you so shamefully tossed away?" 

Taylor laughed. "I didn't toss it away Shar...I threw it at him like I wanted to put his eye out or something."

"Well no matter how it all went down my point is that you should never have given it back under any circumstances. I mean...have you learned nothing from hanging out with me these last few years? How many ways can I keep reiterating that diamonds are a girl's best friend? So for you to just start throwing them around like confetti in the heat of the moment is totally unacceptable McKessie."

"What can I say...I was upset," Taylor offered. "What I really wanted was to get out of that car and snatch Angelina's hair out by the roots."

Now it was Sharpay's turn to laugh. "Now that's what I'm talking about. I bet if Gabriella were still around she no doubt would have been more than happy to assist in that particular beatdown. Hell...so would I!" 

Both girls looked at each other with wicked smiles of satisfaction picturing in their minds a sobbing bald-headed Angelina with her crowning glory in shreds, only to turnaround and suddenly grow solem at the mention of their best friend's name. 

Taylor sighed. "I miss Brie so much Shar. Sometimes I still forget that she isn't coming back...like she's just away on a trip or something."

"I know," Sharpay agreed, a lump starting to form in her own throat as she willed herself not to let the tears begin to fall. "It just seems so unfair that we have to carry on without her." 

"But we do and nothing is going to change that which is why I'm going to stop fighting for Chad from this moment on," Taylor announced, her voice heavy with sadness. "I mean what's the point? He clearly has convinced himself that his decision to call off our engagement is the best thing for the both of us. Maybe he's right after all."

Sharpay's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Taylor Anne McKessie don't you dare say that! Now maybe Chad has lost his marbles for the time being but I expect better from you!"

"Why?"

"Because...nobody will ever love that boy more than you and vice versa. To even think of letting him get away with this is a travesty." 

"So you're saying I should just continue to be rejected on a daily basis?" Taylor asked, standing up from the window seat to stretch her legs. "Just keep letting him push me away no matter how hard I reach out?"

"No..what I'm saying is just give him some time to realize what an idiot he's being, like most guys are from time-to-time, and wait for him to come to his senses again." 

"For how long Shar? I can't be the only one in there fighting for us. I need Chad to want to be with me as much as I want to be with him or what's the point?"

"The point, as I've already stated, is that you two are crazy about each other. A love like yours doesn't come along very often but when it does you hold onto it with everything you've got." 

Taylor snorted. "Even if the other person has already let go?"

Sharpay laughed. "Chad hasn't let go of anything Tay and you know it. He just thinks he has but deep down he's dying inside without you or your dream of being married one day. Just let him go on thinking that until the time comes when he's begging you to take him back which by my calculations will be way sooner than later."

Taylor smiled at her friend's optimism and went over to give her a hug. 

"Thanks Shar."

"Don't mention it. All we've got is each other and the people we love. Nothing else is more important. And on that note...now that we've tackled problems of the heart...I'm suddenly quite hungry and would like to invite you to say for dinner if you don't think your folks won't mind."

"Lead the way Evans," Taylor said, heading for the bedroom door, glad that she'd stopped off to share her troubles with someone who truly cared. "All this talking and tears has worked up a serious appetite."

_On The Other Side Of Town..._

After driving around in silence for nearly half an hour, Troy finally pulled his car into the parking lot of the hangout frequented by Quentin Avery and his boys, cutting off the engine, and then turning to stare at Angelina with accusing eyes. 

"So...you ready to tell me just what the hell that was all about back there with Chad?"

Angelina stared at him with that tiny little smile playing across her lips, not the least bit sorry for her actions, delighted by the reaction she was getting. 

"Answer me damnit!" Troy snapped angrily. "Why would you even dare to do pull a stunt like that knowing how Chad feels about your family?"

"I'm not my family," Angelina answered calmly. "And why do you care so much? Jealous?"

"Jealous?" Troy scoffed. "You wish. I just don't like seeing my best friend's head being messed with for no reason. He's already been through enough lately. He doesn't need you adding to his troubles just for kicks." 

"And who said it was for kicks?" Angelina challenged. "Isn't it possible that I may have wanted to kiss Chad simply because I like him or it was something I've always wanted to do?"

"If that were the case...then why did you kiss me the other night at your place? Don't you find that a conflict of interest considering you know Chad and I have been best friends since we were kids?"

Pleased that her game of cat and mouse was going so well, she acknowledged Troy's relentless questioning with a mere nod of her head. Slowly but surely she was succeeding in pulling him deeper into her web. 

Troy was about to start badgering her for still withheld answers once again, since she'd offered no real explanation for her behavior with him or with Chad, when suddenly both were startled by a sudden rapping at the car window on Angelina's side. Standing by the door, peering inside with curious eyes were Quentin and one of his sidekicks. 

"Hey Lina! Hey Troy! Why don't you come out and play with the rest of us?" he taunted with a knowing smile. 

Troy sighed, not happy for the interruption, while Angelina gave him another once over with calculating eyes, before throwing open the car door and jumping out to greet her friends. 

"Hey Quent. Hey Tony. When does the next race start?"

Both young men laughed as each gave her a welcoming hug. Then Quentin leaned back into the open car door and signaled for Troy to get out and join them. He did so reluctantly, as he watched Angelina and Tony walk off together arm-in-arm, leaving he and the leader of the pack to catch up. 

"It's good to see you again buddy," Quentin stated, slapping Troy on the back as he led him toward the rest of the crowd gathered a few yards away. "I was hoping you'd come around again and win me some more cash like you did the other night. You truly are a natural for this sort of thing."

"Am I?" Troy mumbled, his eyes following the mane of auburn hair as it made its rounds among the noisy group just ahead, who were drinking beers and obviously ready for some excitement.

"Hell yes!" Quentin exclaimed, his arm finding its way across Troy's shoulders. "Like I said before, there's nothing like fresh blood to get the people fired up and you my friend are definitely fresh blood. Besides...you can't deny that your prowess behind the wheel has definitely done you some good. You don't keep and hold the attention of a woman like Angelina DeLeon unless you are packing her kind of thrills. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah...I know what you mean Quentin...but you're wrong," Troy stated, suddenly wishing he was anywhere but here among people who were nothing like the true friends he knew he shold be spending his time with instead. "Angelina and I are nothing more than acquaintances if you want to know the truth. Believe it or not my heart belongs to another and always will." 

"Is that so?" Quentin stated, with an unconvinced smirk upon his face. "Then why are you here with the hottest woman in town? Trying to make your girl jealous or something?"

"My girl's dead Quentin or didn't Angelina tell you that?" Troy snapped, throwing the lazy arm around his shoulders off in defiance. 

"Dead? You're kidding right?" 

"No I'm not. Her name was Gabriella Montez. She's the only one who ever loved me for me. Unconditionally and true to the core." 

"Isn't she that cute little brunette I heard tell of you singing with at one of East High's spring shows or something?" Quentin asked, appearing genuinely interested in what he was being told. 

"One in the same," Troy replied, a strong desire to flee where he knew he didn't belong coming over him.

"Oh...man...I'm really sorry to hear that," Quentin offered, his voice sincere. "I meant no disrespect." 

"It's cool," Troy assured. "I just wanted you to know the truth about me and Angelina and the fact that there is nothing going on between us."

"Well maybe not now...but I wouldn't count myself down and out so quickly," Quentin suggested, waving to one of the crowd who had caught his eye. "It's pretty obvious that Lina's got a thing for you. Can't say how deep it goes but she never wastes her time on anyone she doesn't have plans for."

"Plans? What plans?" Troy wondered suspiciously.

"Don't know my young friend. But if you really aren't vibing on her then I suggest you make that perfectly clear and fast. No way in hell do you want to be on the side of those who incur the wrath of Angelina DeLeon," Quentin warned, as he walked away leaving Troy to ponder his words, which for some strange reason sent a shiver up his spine. 

For a while he stood apart from the bustling crowd, merely observing in quiet, until he saw Quentin give him the look that was daring him to test his hand at racing again. At first the idea of sitting behind yet another powerful piece of machinery set to burn up the roadway enticed Troy and spoke to his sudden taste for the thrill of it all. But just as quickly his desire faded and all he wanted to do was get away from Angelina and her friends and connect with something or someone familiar. Chad, Zeke, and Jason came to mind. 

Waving off the invitation as he noted the surprised look on Quentin's face at being flatly refused, Troy turned around and began heading back to his car, when he felt a hand tightly grab his arm and spin him around. 

"And just where do you think you're running off too Troy Bolton?" Angelina asked, her tone demanding, as she stood before him with hands on hips. "I thought the reason you drove me out here was so that we could have some fun tonight?" 

"No. I brought you out here to see if I could get a straight answer out of you as to why you went out of your way to use my best friend to get a reaction out of me," Troy honestly replied. "And since you aren't interested in explaining yourself then there is really no reason for me to be here." 

"But what about the race?" Angelina pouted. "Quentin is really looking forward to your getting behind the wheel again. What am I suppose to tell him about your leaving?"

"Tell him whatever you want. All I know is I have to get out of here before I create more problems in my life I don't need," Troy calmly stated, turning once again in the direction of his car, losing interest in anything further she had to say. 

Watching him go, Angelina felt a twinge of disappointment. 

Troy had clearly been upset by her move on Chad earlier, of that she was sure. So much so that he'd whisked her off to question her intentions without a second thought irregardless of how the scene must have looked to his friends. Yet in spite of what Angelina had concluded was a brilliantly calculated effort on her part to further advance her plans for Troy, she had lost her edge and was now left alone to figure out where she'd gone wrong. 

As she stood mulling over what it was she would do next, Quentin came strolling over, throwing an arm around her shoulders just as he had done to Troy. 

"So where has golden boy run off to darling? Did you turn out to be too much for him to handle?"

Angelina laughed, reaching up to pinch Quentin's cheek playfully. 

"Oh don't you worry about Troy. He may think he can run from the inevitable but know that what I have in store for him is something he can't run from no matter how hard he tries. I've got what he wants and before all is said and done Troy will do anything I ask of him to get it." 

_The Danforth House..._

Although he was more or less an emotional wreck by the time he got home, Chad had somehow managed to pull himself together long enough to take care of his sister and father before retiring to his room later that evening to contemplate the day's events and the continuing mess that was his life.

In all honestly, Chad wasn't sure what he felt more badly about: the fact that he'd hurt Taylor so deeply that she'd thrown her engagement ring at him like she couldn't bear to wear it another second after witnessing that unexpected display masterminded by Angelina, or the fact that upsetting her to such a degree had caused Troy to haul off and hit him, something which he'd never done before. 

Chad still couldn't figure out how he'd allowed himself to be dragged into whatever scheme it was that Angelina had going where Troy was concerned, ultimately made worse because it was the woman he loved who had been hurt most by the entire encounter. He glady would have let Troy beat him to a pulp if it meant he could somehow take back one minute of the pain he had seen in Taylor's eyes before she sped off looking like her heart had been ripped out. 

Just thinking of her now made his heart ache unbearably and he wanted desperately to pick up the phone and see if she were okay. Instead, he picked up her engagement ring that he'd carefully placed on his dresser the minute he'd gotten home and studied it's beauty with a heavy sigh. 

Although it had been his idea to break off their plans to marry, it still felt wrong that the ring he had given her with all the best of himself behind it no longer had a home upon Taylor's finger. 

Chad knew that it was where the ring belonged no matter what had been said and the guilt he felt over it's displacement suddenly made him realize how self-destructive he was becoming all in the name of duty. But what else could he do? His family needed him and it was his responsibility to care for them now that his mother was gone. Chad just wished that the price of the burden he had chosen to bear, wasn't taking such an incredible toll on the last person in the world he ever wanted to hurt. 

And then there was Troy. 

Just when Chad had seen a light at the end of the tunnel...when the distance between them over the last month and a half had finally seemed like it was going to become a thing of the past, here they were at odds again. What made it worse was that it hadn't been over that disgusting kiss that Angelina had planted on him, which Chad now knew was merely a way to push Troy's buttons, but by the anger and disappointment his best friend had felt seeing that display stab at Taylor like a dagger in the heart. 

Troy knew what it was like to lose the woman you loved. It was a pain that he had been living with every single day since Gabriella had been taken from him. So to see what he must have assumed was Chad taking chances with his shot at happiness with Taylor had no doubt ignited his own rage at the unfairness of fate, hence the punch in the face. 

Rubbing at his jaw where the sting of that blow still faintly lingered, Chad began to experience his own anger which wasn't directed at Taylor or Troy, but rather at himself and Angelina. Just thinking about the trouble her silly head games had caused made Chad shudder in revulsion. 

He remembered how Angelina used to tease and taunt Troy when they were just Freshman...how she enjoyed his ill-hidden and often times awkward admiration of her beauty coupled with her then unmatched popularity. But, even back then, Chad knew it was just a game that Angelina was playing as did Troy. So why did it seem that now the game had taken on a different meaning with a much darker undertone, coming out of nowhere like a bolt of lighting? Why did he have the uneasiest of feelings that something awful was sure to happen the longer Troy spent more time around Angelina? Time that she needed for whatever scheme she was hatching to draw him to its core, which Chad now knew with certainty was rooted in some type of revenge against him and those he loved for what had happened to her family during Senior Weekend?


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter 71

It was just after 6:00 a.m. on what would turn out to be a beautiful Saturday morning, when Angelina's flight touched down at the main airport in Mexico. Twenty minutes later, after disembarking from the plane with her overnight bag in hand, she made her way to one of the rental car booths already busy with other customers, and picked up the keys to the car she had reserved online the night before.

As she strolled along to the parking lot where a red convertible was awaiting her arrival, Angelina thought back over the past few days, realizing in that moment how much she had needed to make this trip in order get her game plan back on track. Things weren't going quite as she had hoped where Troy was concerned, but that would all change soon and she'd be back in the driver's seat where she belonged.

Finding her ride in its designated parking space, Angelina threw her bag in back with a smile, climbed behind the wheel, and then pulled out her cellphone and quickly dialed a number which only rang once before being answered.

"Hey, it's me" she announced to the person on the other end of the line. "I just got in. How are things going?"

"Things are going fine," came a confident reply. "You just get in?"

"Yeah I did. My flight landed about a half an hour ago and I'm just now leaving the rental car lot heading out your way."

"So I guess that means I'll being seeing you soon then right?"

"Of course," Angelina advised, pulling into traffic with ease.

"Then I'll make sure everything is ready for when you arrive," informed the voice on the other end of the call.

Something in the tone of that response sent an immediate warning bell off in Angelina's head, signaling to her that all wasn't as great as it was being made out to be. She paused for a moment and then sighed.

"Okay...tell me what happened and don't even try to lie about it," she advised.

"What gave it away," the voice asked with a chuckle.

"I know you that's what. I can always tell when something

isn't right where you're concerned. Just give it to me straight. I can handle it."

"Yes you can but really...there's nothing to worry about. We did have a minor incident with people being out where they shouldn't, but it's all been taken care of and everything is back the way it's suppose to be."

"When I get there you know I'm going to want details right?"

"Yes, I know. Everything will be explained in detail when you get here," she was calmly reassured.

"Fine. See you in a bit," Angelina stated rather dismissively, as she hung up the phone and bit her lip in frustration.

So...people were starting to think they could usurp the rules and do as they pleased did they? Well she'd see to that and a whole lot more once she reached her destination. Too much was at stake to let a bit of mutiny ruin all her well laid plans and it was high time that reminder was enforced.

After hanging up the phone with Angelina, the one she'd informed of her imminent arrival smiled with pleasure at the thought of her nearness soon to be realized, and walked into the livingroom of the two-story condo with it's magnificent view overlooking the ocean and the crashing waves below. Two sets of eyes, alert and watching, turned abruptly at the sudden entrance.

"Well, well, well...it seems that we are about to have a welcomed visitor in our midst," came the gleeful announcement, hands rubbing together in excited anticipation. "Our beautiful angel is finally coming home so to speak and not a moment too soon. Isn't that just the best news ever?"

Those being spoken too looked at one another other in muted silence. The expression on their faces caused a boisterous laugh to echo throughout the room.

"Not to worry...it won't be so bad. I admit that I did have to spill the beans a little about your foolish stunt, but once Angelina is here she'll see to it that everything is as it should be and we can go foward with things as planned. But for now, I think I'm going to go and take a quick shower before she arrives because we must look our best in the presence of one as beautiful as she. Don't you agree?"

The question was met without reply.

"I promise not to be too long. You just sit there like good little guests and when I'm done I'll come back and make sure you are made presentable as well okay?"

Lisa Danforth and Gabriella Montez briefly glanced at one another as they sat on the couch with their hands bound behind their backs, staring up at Angelina's father with the same horrorified expression both had worn since the day they realized that this insane man and his daughter were the ones responsible for snatching them away from their lives and all the people in them that they loved.

"Okay," Lisa managed to answer, in what had become her customary tightness of tone when responding to the man she had once considered as close a friend to her as his now dead wife. "Don't worry about us. We'll be right here waiting for your return."

The heavy-set man gave her an odd look of surprise, before a sinister chuckle escaped his lips, sending a shudder through Gabriella that left her cold.

"Of course you will my dearest Lisa," came his knowing reply. "I can always count on you to see things in an agreeable light."

And without another word, Abe DeLeon turned on his heels and disappeared into another part of the condo.

Once he was gone, Lisa gave a sigh of relief and leaned over slightly on the couch until her forehead brushed up against Gabriella's in a moment of tender reassurance.

"You hanging in there?" She asked in a voice soft with as much protectiveness as could be offered under the circumstances.

Gabriella nodded, thankful for the closeness of Chad's mother at her side.

"He'll be gone for a while so we have some time to just relax and mentally prepare ourselves for Angelina's arrival," Lisa continued. "I can't deny that the thought of seeing her again is both hopeful and troubling to me all at the same time."

"Hopeful?" Gabriella asked in a hushed whisper. "How can anything involving Angelina have hope attached to it? She and her entire family are a pack of monsters. First her mother, sister and cousin tried to destroy Chad and Taylor and when that didn't work, the ones who were left went after the people they loved, that being you and I. What in the world could be hopeful in that?"

"Well," Lisa began. "It will give us a chance to find out how our famlies are doing, especially considering that they all believe us both to be dead. Knowing Angelina and how narcisstic she can be just as her mother was, she no doubt will be dying to throw it in our faces of how the world is going on without us when it comes to Carla, Chad, Troy, Taylor and the rest. I know it will be painful to hear of the suffering they all must be going through over our perceived loss, but it will also give us a connection to the world we both desperately want to get back to as well."

"It just kills me to think of my mom, Troy, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay, Mr. Danforth and everyone else grieving for us," Gabriella replied, a trembling of emotion in her voice. "I just want to cry knowing that we are being used as pawns to hurt them in whatever evil schemes Angelina and her father have planned and there being no way for us to warn them."

"I know sweetie," Lisa sighed, fighting back her own overwhelming emotions at their situation. "But maybe...just maybe...Angelina will let something slip that could help us figure out what we are going to do next."

"Do next? What is there to do? We've been held hostage here for nearly two months. After our attempted escape the other day which failed because of me, and the prospect of Angelina popping up on the doorstep any minute, I'd say all our chances of doing anything that will make any difference are next to none," Gabriella fretted, her state becoming agitated.

"Sssh," Lisa whispered, planting a gentle kiss at the young girl's temple. "It's going to be alright. Don't ask me how but you have to believe that it will no matter how bleak things may seem. I need you to stay strong for me and for yourself. It's the only weapon we have left. We cannot let Abe or Angelina think they have broken our will as well as our hearts. Promise?"

Gabriella turned her lovely brown eyes upward to stare at Chad's mother and couldn't keep the tiny smile from her lips. Mrs. Danforth's optimism was hard to resist even with what they were facing. Gabriella nodded, although the knot in her stomach tightened with worry at what lie ahead for them being in the presence of the remaining two DeLeon family members again. 

"I promise. I'll do my best to stay as strong as I possibly can. But I won't lie. It isn't going to be easy."

"Of course it won't," Lisa said with a sigh. "But we have to be as united as much as we possibly can if we're going to be ready to take advantage of the next mistake either Angelina or her father makes."

"Do you think that's really going to happen?"

"Honestly? I don't know. But it can't hurt to think that it might can it?"

Gabriella shook her head.

"No. I guess not."

"Good. Then we'll just see what this visit from Angelina is all about and take from it what we can. Something tells me that this is more than just a routine check-up on daddy and their 'guests'. I believe she's coming to add another piece of the puzzle to whatever her bigger plan is for us and for the people we love," Lisa confided, hoping that her intuition was on the money and that what she had told Gabriella would come to pass.

Just then the sound of a key in the lock of the front door startled them both into silence. The two of them held their breath as the sound of stiletto-heeled shoes began clicking across the thick Mexican tile in the foyer. A few seconds later, Angelina appeared in the doorway of the livingroom, looking gorgeous and yet hideous all at the same time. Just the sight of her made Gabriella's stomach lurch with a mixture of fear and anger.

"Well hello ladies," Angelina stated with a cold calculating smile, entering the room and dropping her keys on a side table. "Did you miss me?"

On the morning of the championship basketball game, Chad awoke thinking about the two women he loved most in the world...Taylor and his mother. One was lost to him forever and the other he had deliberately pushed away to protect her from what he believed he could no longer give of himself. It wasn't a very pleasant start to one of the most important days of his life.

At the same time, not far away, Troy too was just waking up in his own bed, clinging to the realness of his dreamlike state, where a beautiful and alive Gabriella rested in his arms, her unforgettable smile of love beaming up at him as it had so many times before.

It was truly a struggle for both young men to finally drag themselves out of bed, but they did. And by the time Chad had thrown on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt for an early morning job, he'd already reached for his cellphone to call whom he hoped was still his bestfriend.

Troy picked up on the second ring.

"Hey...it's me," Chad said nervously, as he looked around for his running shoes. "Did I wake you?"

For a moment Troy was shocked to hear the voice of his life-long friend given the fight they'd had two days before, but he quickly regained his composure and answered.

"No. I was up."

"Good. I was wondering...if you'd like to take a run with me this morning? I know my asking sounds crazy considering that you probably hate my guts right now, but I'm doing it any way."

There was brief pause on Troy's end before he spoke again.

"I don't hate you Chad," he stated in a low voice. "I'm still pissed at you but...well...hate you? Never."

"Really?" Chad gasped in disbelief, a renewed hope swelling within him. "You mean we're still friends?"

"Yeah...we're still friends. We probably shouldn't be after what you did to Taylor...but we've been through too much to stop now."

Chad's huge sigh of relief on the other end of the line made Troy smile.

"Dude...you aren't messing with me are you? I mean...you really still want hang with me?"

"I said so didn't I you big idiot?" came Troy's reply.

"Yeah...yeah..you did," Chad said with a smile."

And just like that the anymosity that had been hovering over them vanished and all was forgiven.

"So...what the hell are you doing calling me so early for anyway?" Troy scolded, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Chad laughed as he sat down on his bed to put on his shoes.

"I told you man...I'm going for a run and want you to join me. I need to work off some serious tension before the big showdown tonight."

"I hear you," Troy sighed, flopping back against his pillows. "I think a little run is just what we need to get our heads in the game."

"You know it!"

"Okay...give me about 15 minutes to throw something on," Troy advised. "You want me to come over there?"

"Nah...I'll swing by and get you," Chad offered.

"K. See you in 15 then," Troy stated, hanging up the phone with a sigh, before getting out of bed. All thoughts of Gabriella temporarily put to the back of his mind for the moment.

After the call ended, Chad just sat for a moment pondering how lucky he was to have a friend like Bolton. Given the circumstances, Chad couldn't blame Troy if he never wanted to see or speak to him again. But the fact that he did and was able to put what had happened behind them, made the dark mood Chad had awoken too subside enough for him to get on with his day.

After checking on his sister and father, both of whom were still asleep, Chad made his way to the kitchen to grab some water and a piece of fruit before heading off to pick up Troy. He had just stepped out onto the porch, attempting to quietly close the door behind him, when he was stopped in his tracks by the sight of Taylor patiently waiting for him on the front steps. She was dressed in a light blue sweat suit, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. When she turned her eyes upward in his direction, Chad's heart skipped a beat.

"Tay...what...what are you doing here?" he stammered, stunned by how beautiful she looked in the early morning sunlight.

Taylor stood up with a smile.

"Hey. I'm sorry for dropping in on you like this...so unexpected and all..."

"No...no...it's okay. Really," Chad stated, barely able to hide just how happy he was to see her again. "Is everything alright?"

Taylor gave him a funny look and then slowly shook her head but without any trace of anger only a glimmer of sadness.

"No, everything's not alright but that's not why I'm here," she stated, longing for him to take her in his arms but keeping her distance. "I needed to see you before the big game tonight. I have something I want to give to you."

A wave of guilt over the pain he'd caused her not just in recent days but since the death of his mother washed over Chad and he held his hands up in protest.

"No...Taylor...really...you shouldn't have..."

Taylor lifted a finger and brought it to Chad's lips to silence him.

"Don't say another word," she warned, shaking her head. "I'm going to do what I came here to do and you aren't going to stop me okay?"

Chad, stunned by how the mere touch of her skin next to his had his head spinning and heart pounding, made no effort to resist her request.

"Okay," he answered in a soft voice.

"Good," Taylor said, reaching into the pocket of her sweat suit. "I brought this for you a while back...just before your birthday. I wanted you to have an added piece of good luck for when you went to the championship again. Gabriella helped me pick it out."

Chad looked down at Taylor's hand which suddenly opened. There lying in its palm was a beautiful thin gold chain with a tiny basketball being clutched between the paws of a wildcat with diamond studded eyes.

"Oh Tay," Chad sighed, reaching out to pick up the chain. "This is something really special. I mean really special."

"You like it?" Taylor asked.

"Like it? I love it," Chad gushed, holding it up in awed admiration. "Where in the world did you find the wildcat with a basketball?"

Taylor laughed.

"It wasn't easy trust. But like I said...Brie helped me find it. She also brought one for Troy too," she stated, again reaching into her pocket and producing a second chain. "We had planned to give them to you both right before the game. Like I said before...it's for good luck."

"Will you help me put it on?" Chad shyly asked, his heart so full of love for her he could almost barely speak.

Taylor nodded and took the chain from his hand, as she positioned herself behind him. After placing it around his neck and securing the tiny clasp, she stood back for a moment with a pleasant sigh. Then Chad turned so that she could see it from the front.

"So...what do you think? Is it me?"

"Definitely. I bet Troy's looks just as good on him too," Taylor stated with an agreeable nod. "Make sure you give it to him before you play tonight."

"I promise," Chad said, his voice low and husky with emotion.

For a moment the two of them just stood there on his porch with the sunlight streaming down upon their faces, an awkward moment of silence hanging in the air. Then, without any attempts to fight the feelings that were by this time raging through their bodies like a wildfire out of control, Taylor and Chad slowly drifted into each others arms. They clung silently to one another for only a few seconds, before their lips came together and both were lost in that magical place where both their hearts came together as one.

In the back of his mind Chad told himself he should stop before getting too carried away, but he couldn't. Having Taylor in his arms again like this was more peace than he had known in a very long time and he clung to it like a man drowning at sea clings to a life preserver. It was she, however, who put the brakes on their heated kiss just in time, stepping back from him just a bit with a sigh, her hand gently caressing his cheek.

Chad was so dazed from having been without her for so long only to feel that same old thrill again, that he was truly shocked when Taylor moved away from him completely and with a tiny smile turned and walked down the steps without uttering a single word. He watched her go, so many words he wanted to say stuck in his throat, that it wasn't until she'd nearly made it halfway down the block before he called out after her.

"Taylor!" he yelled, his tone that of desperate longing.

She turned at the sound of her name and paused.

"You are coming to the game tonight right? Please tell me you're going to be there!"

Taylor suddenly gifted Chad with a big beautiful smile that lit up her entire face. Then she nodded, gave a short wave, and continued walking away. When she had finally left his sight, Chad sighed deeply, fingering his chain. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that tonight he and the rest of the wildcats would be champions. The only thing he wasn't as sure of was whether or not he still had a right to ask for Taylor's forgiveness and more importantly her love back. He had hurt her terribly to be sure, but that didn't change what he knew in that moment to be true...without Taylor in his life and without her heart beating in sync with his own he was nothing.


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter 72

After completing their three mile run around the lake and through the park, Chad and Troy headed back to Troy's house to grab something to eat and relax a bit before both had to start preparing for the big game later that evening.

As Troy was hunting around inside the refrigerator trying to decide if they should kill off the last of his father's five cheese lasagne or his mother's homemade pot roast, Chad decided that it was finally as good a time as any to spring the news of Gabriella's last and most precious gift on his unsuspecting friend.

Hopping onto a stool at the kitchen counter, he took a deep breath and then began to tell his story about finding Taylor on the front steps of his home earlier that morning, the gift of the chain, and the request that its duplicate be given to Troy as a final symbol of luck and love from Gabriella.

At first, Chad's words seemed to go unnoticed, as his best friend continued to rummage through the fridge still unable to choose between which dish they should share. But slowly recognition of what he had said seemed to set in and that's when Troy pulled himself upright to turn and stare over at Chad in shocked disbelief.

"What do you mean you have a gift for me from Gabriella?" He asked, the color in his face noticeably starting to drain. "Is this some kind of morbid joke or something?"

"No...man...no. Of course not," came Chad's stammer of reassurance, while shifting nervously in his seat. "It's completely on the up and up I promise you. Seems the girls were so sure we'd make it to the championship again that they decided to get us both identical good luck charms to ensure absolute victory."

"So what you're telling me is for real? That Taylor came by this morning to give you both gifts...mine on Brie's behalf?"

Chad nodded. "Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying. Apparently they purchased the chains right before my birthday but hadn't planned on giving them to either one of us until the day of the big game which is tonight."

For a moment Troy had to steady himself at the idea of the girl he loved practically speaking to him from the grave. Such news caused him to stagger slighlty over to where his friend was seated, plopping down into the stool next to his with a heavy sigh.

"Hey...buddy...you okay?" Chad asked with obvious concern.

Troy glanced at him with confused eyes and a subdued expression, nodding his head and sighing once again before asking to see the chain for himself. Chad dug into the pocket of his sweatpants to produce the heartfelt trinket, which he then placed into his friend's open palm.

"Just so you know, I pretty much had the same reaction as you are having right now when Taylor gave me mine," Chad offered, reaching over to lightly squeeze Troy's shoulder. "Talk about being in shock. I still can't believe the two of them did something like this or maybe I can. Nobody can ever say we weren't the luckiest guys in town when it came to the women who loved us."

"Still love," Troy corrected softly, his eyes fixated on the thin chain with the golden wildcat at its end. "Both Brie and Taylor still love us and something like this just proves how much. Even with Gabriella gone I can feel her here with me at this very moment wrapping me up in that feeling that I'll never be able to let go of. Never. It's pretty amazing."

"You can say that again," Chad agreed, the memory of Taylor sitting on his front steps gripping at his heart. "Who could have imaged that when we all were last together at my birthday party that every thing good and wonderful in our lives was about to be snatched away without a hope in hell of ever getting it back again."

Troy suddenly snapped out of his memories and glanced over at Chad out of the corner of his eye. He gave a little chuckle at his friend's remarks and thought what a pair they truly were.

"Come on man who are you kidding?" Troy teased, playfully poking Chad in the ribs with his elbow. "You and I both know that the minute Taylor gave you this gift you were already trying to figure out how to win her back so for you, at least, all hope is not lost...yet."

Chad's infectious laugh instantly filled every corner of the room, as he shook his head at having his inner most thoughts spoken aloud. "Damn Bolton! You know me too well."

Troy laughed as well. "That I do my brother. That I do."

"Think she'll be able to forgive me for everything I've put her through and give us another chance?" Chad wondered.

"Are you kidding me? Girls like Taylor and Gabriella don't just stop loving someone simply because they have acted like selfish assholes even with the best intentions."

Chad laughed again. "I know...I know. But I've treated Tay so badly these last few months that she has every reason not to take me back."

"But she will," Troy knowingly reassured. "That one loves you with everything in her. Trust...if you step to Taylor like a man and make her remember that you love her as much as she loves you everything will be as it was before. Probably better."

"You mean even in spite of having caught Angelina with her lips all over mine?"

At the mention of the auburn-haired beauty both friends shared a tentative look then paused in a moment of reflective silence.

"You do know that I wasn't into it don't you?" Chad solemnly asked. "And that the only reason Angelina even pulled that stunt was to somehow make you jealous?"

"Yeah. I know," Troy replied, fingering his now beloved chain, as Gabriella's smile flashed through his mind. "The only thing I don't is why Angelina would even think it mattered to me who she kissed. She knows how in love with Brie I still am. Will always be."

"Does she?" came Chad's concered reply.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Troy asked defensively.

"It means that she saw you punch me in the face after that kiss and probably thinks it was because it got to you emotionally," Chad explained. "It's obvious she only made that move in the first place to yank your chain."

"Yeah...but I punched you because of the way that whole scenario affected Taylor. Nonthing more."

"Are you sure about that? I mean, I know you aren't dating Angelina or anything like that Troy, but it's also pretty obvious that something has happened between you two that gave her the idea that she might possibly have a shot. At what I don't know but a shot nonetheless."

Troy sighed. He got up from the stool he was sitting in and walked over to the kitchen window over the sink and looked out into the backyard.

"Okay. I admit it. Something did sort of happen between us but only once," he confessed, unable to turn and face the unknown expression he could sense on Chad's face.

"Tell me."

Again Troy released an anguished sigh. "It was at the beginning of last week. When I was still in jerk mode. I'd gone to do some drag racing with Quentin Avery and his crew..."

"Quentin Avery!?" Chad exclaimed. "Isn't he one of the guys who ruled East High along with his buddies when you and I were freshmen?"

"One in the same. And don't bother asking how I even fell into it with that particular crowd because it all happened when my head was still really messed up and only for a very brief time."

"Okay I won't. But what does this have to do with whatever happened between you and Angelina?" Chad pushed.

"Well...if you remember...she and Quentin were friends back in school. Apparently they still are. She was hanging out with him and his crew when I came along. Anyway, on one of those misguided nights of mine, I gave Angelina a ride back to her place," Troy continued, finally having turned away from the window to look his friend in the eye.

"Hold up. You took Angelina home one night?"

"Yeah. I did. She needed a ride and I didn't see any harm in it."

"And then what happened?" Chad questioned, leaning so far out of his seat that he looked like he was about to fall.

"Well...she asked me to come up for a minute...pratically daring me to...so I went. I was only up there for a little while but in that short time we...well...we kissed."

"You what!" Chad shouted, finally tipping himself out of the stool but managing to catch himself before he hit the floor.

"We kissed," Troy restated awkwardly.

"And then what?"

"And then nothing. I stopped it and got the hell out of there," Troy explained, trying not to remember how the kiss he had shared with Angelina had gotten to him more than he cared to admit. "The next time I saw her again was when she was all over you in the parking lot a few days ago."

"Well at least that explains what that whole scene was about to begin with," Chad stated, sounding relieved to have finally fit the missing pieces of the puzzle into place. "So I was right in thinking that Angelina did what she did to try and make you jealous."

"Yeah. You were. It's just too bad that Taylor is the one that got hurt by it instead."

"And me too," Chad joked, remembering that punch in the face he hadn't seen coming yet could still feel the sting of.

Troy smiled. "I'm really sorry about that man. You know I wouldn't hurt you for anything in the world."

"No problem. Good thing I can take a punch."

The two of them laughed at their shared memory of that unlikely encounter between them, glad that it hadn't done irreparable harm to their life-long bond.

"So answer me this Troy. If you weren't really affected by Angelina's kissing me, then why did you take off with her afterwards?" Chad questioned. "It seemed kind of strange that you would do something like that. I know it freaked the hell out of Jason and Zeke."

"I bet it did," Troy admitted with a chuckle. "But in all honesty, the only reason I did that was because I wanted to get to the bottom of whatever game Angelina was playing. For her to do something like that, trying to cause a rift in our friendship, just felt all kinds of wrong and I wanted to confront her about it."

"And did you?"

"Yeah I did but without much luck. All she wanted to do was continue playing cat and mouse and not answer any of my questions. That's when I realized that something wasn't right with her and that she has some sort of agenda when it comes to both you and me."

"It's called revenge Troy," Chad stated matter of fact. "I can't really prove it as much as I can feel it. Whatever the reason Angelina has started going after you without caring one bit if she destroys our friendship in the process, or helps drive a bigger wedge between Taylor and I, the bottom line is that it reeks of payback."

"For Marissa and their mother?"

"For the whole damn family man. For Marissa, their mother, Julian and even probably the death of her father. Sounds more and more like it now that I've just heard what you had to say," Chad analzyed. "And what's funny is that both Taylor and Gabriella sensed that something wasn't right with her the night of my party and tried to warn us. But I let my mom pull me in with that sob story about her father dying and how she was all alone now, which kept me from seeing that the girl was planning to sucker punch us all along."

Suddenly Troy gasped in horror as he turned to his best friend.

"What is it?" Chad exclaimed, leaving out of his chair again. "What's wrong?"

Troy looked at him while shaking his head like he couldn't quite believe the thoughts he was thinking.

"Do you realize that what you just said likely means that whatever Angelina's plotting against us probably started the night of your party? And if that's true...it could mean that she might have had something to do with with what happened to Brie and your mom."

Now it was Chad's turn to gasp.

Even in knowing that several members of the DeLeon family hadn't been wrapped too tight and that the idea of Angelina possibly seeking some form of revenge based on the details just revealed, the last thing Chad had even remotely considered was that she too might be as murdererous-minded as the rest of her clan. If that were true, then he once again was responsible for what had happened to his mother and Brie.

Just the notion of Angelina possibly being that level of dangerous made Chad shudder, as well as worry greatly that she still might not be finished and that more peoples' lives were in jeopardy all because he couldn't return the same love for Marissa as she had had for him.

Troy saw the panic in his friend's eyes and knew he needed to keep him calm so they could get through the rest of the day and the game that night. But tomorrow was a different story. Tomorrow they were going to begin to get to the bottom of whatever plot Angelina was hatching toward them and do whatever it took to put a stop to it once and for all.

_Later That Day In Mexico..._

Gabriella couldn't help feeling jealous.

Standing there in the middle of the bedroom that had been her inescapable prison for the last few months, she watched Chad's mother calmly sleeping on one of the beds with a tiny air of resentment. How she wished that she too were lost in her dreams at that moment so that she and Troy could be together again instead of being awake and aware of this nightmare that had become her life over these never ending days.

It was surprising to Gabriella that Lisa was even asleep at this time of day considering that only an hour before she'd seemed anything but tired. But after a tense lunch with Angelina and her father where they spoke to one another as if their "guests" weren't even there, they had been returned to their room under lock and key, where Lisa immediately fell onto the bed and into sleep before she and Gabriella had a chance to discuss what, if anything, they may have noted as the reason for Angelina's unexpected visit.

Clearly she was there for more than just a check up of her prized hostages, which had been handled by phone for weeks on end now. But Gabriella still remained clueless and unprepared for what might happen next, only adding to her fearful distress. If only Lisa could have given her some of that limitless optimism she still was able to maintain in spite of their situation before drifting off, the agitation that plagued her now might be easier to handle.

Getting over her resentment at Lisa's having found a moment of peace in slumber, Gabriella sighed tiredly and walked to the window to look down upon the waves thick with foam crashing against the rocks far below her.

Suddenly, she had an awful flashback to that fateful night when she had been pushed overboard from that glorious yacht where Chad's 18th birthday party had taken place. She could still remember the sounds of her screams gone unheard, as she first plummeted and then crashed into the dark forboding water sure that death had come to claim her. Then, as she began to go under for the second time, a pair of strong masculine hands had ripped her from a watery grave and pulled her into a small boat where she immediately saw an unconscious Lisa lying before her. She was about to yell out for someone to help them but that's when the chloroformed rag had appeared and everything in Gabriella's world went dark.

Shuddering at the vividness of that still all too real memory, she closed her eyes and laid her head against the coolness of the window pane. Thoughts of Troy suddenly came to Gabriella and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How many times throughout this entire ordeal had the mere thought of the blue of his eyes or the charm of his smile kept her from screaming her head off like a crazy person?

He was out there somewhere grieving for her as was everyone else who loved she and Lisa both, and yet it was because of the thought of seeing him again one day, being in his arms that made her feel safe, that Gabriella had been able to hold it together as long as she had. The question now was how much more could she take?

Just then the sound of keys working the lock at the bedroom door startled Gabriella causing her to jump. She turned in preparation of the forthcoming intrustion, backing herself up against the window in fear. A few seconds later Angelina walked in dangling the keys in her hand like a gleeful jailer. She cast an eye in Lisa's direction appearing pleased to see that her little "meeting" with Gabriella would not be inteferred with as she closed the door behind her.

"I guess we'll have to keep it down won't we?" Angelina joked, turning her gaze away from the woman whom had once been her mother's best friend and settling her full attention on the frightened teenaged beauty instead.

"When are you going to let us out of here?" Gabriella demanded in a shaken voice. "You know you can't keep us locked away in this place forever. Sooner or later someone is going to figure out what you've done and come for us."

Angelina laughed.

"Is that what you tell yourself princess to get through the lonely nights? How sweet."

Something in the cockiness of that laugh infuriated Gabriella and her fear suddenly didn't seem as insurmountable as first thought. More than anything in that moment she wanted to charge across the room and slap that look of superiority off of Angelina's smug face.

"What is it that you think you are going to accomplish by holding us here much longer? It's obvious you aren't planning to kill us or else you would have done it already. So what exactly are your intentions?"

The smile on Angelina's lips instantly vanished and was replaced by a visbly chilling sneer. For a second she looked exactly as her mother had the night she'd tired to kill Taylor and Chad.

"The only thing that's obvious little Gabriella is that I'm in control of your fate and whatever I choose to do with it," came a snarling reply. "If I want to hold you here for the rest of your days until you are nothing more than a rotting corpse that is my perrogative. Same goes for Lisa. But as it stands, I much more prefer to keep you guessing day after day and night after night as to your uncertain destiny which continues to eat away at your sanity like an awful cancer."

"You're insane!" Gabriella snapped, momentarily forgetting that even speaking such words aloud could be the end of her life right then and there.

"Yes. So I've been told," Angelina conceded, leaning against the closed door with eyes cold as steel. "But insane or not I must tell you that I've been having the most marvelous time with your boyfriend these last few weeks and I intend for it to continue."

The reference to Troy caused Gabriella's hear to skip a beat but was immediately followed by a sense of dread and loathing.

"What do you mean you've been spending time with Troy? You stay the hell away from him! Do you hear me?"

Another evil cackle escaped from Angelina's lips.

"You missy are in no damn position to tell me what I can or can't do when it comes to Troy or anyone else. I will do with him as a I please and believe me when I tell you that it will be more than a kiss I get out of him before all is said and done."

The hated words spoken felt like a dagger through Gabriella's heart. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. Angelina kissing Troy? Troy allowing it to happen? The room began spinning and Gabriella felt wretchedly sick to her stomach.

"You're lying! Troy would never give someone like you the time of day!"

"Am I?" Angelina taunted, her voice dripping with malice. "If that's true then I wonder who it could have been in my condo last week kissing me back if it wasn't your precious basketball hero?"

The dizziness Gabriella experienced from what she was hearing, caused her to slowly begin sliding down onto the floor until she was doubled over as if in great pain. Her emotional agony was a joyful sight for Angelina to behold, as it closely mirrored the same reaction she'd witnessed in Taylor after having been caught kissing Chad earlier that week.

"That's right princess, fall down like the baby you are allowing what I've told you to sink in about your darling Troy and how I had a taste of him. It won't be the last time either."

The tears began to spill from Gabriella's eyes uncontrollably. She truly felt like she was dying inside.

"I hate you," she spat vehemently. "I hate you and some day you are going to pay for what you and your whole family has done."

Angelina walked over to where Gabriella laid on the floor and crouched down until she was hovering just above her.

"You couldn't possibly hate me as much as I do you, Chad, Taylor, Troy, all your little friends, and especially that woman lying over there in that bed. All of you own responsibility for the death of my mother and sister and I intend to make you pay if it's the last thing I do."

"Just leave me alone," Gabriella mumbled into the carpet, arms wrapped about herself.

"Gladly princess. But don't forget...I'm going to have my way with Troy and when I'm done, I'll bring him to you so you can see his betrayal for yourself and know the true fury of my wrath. Anything that comes after will no longer matter," Angelina assured, standing upright as she looked down at Gabriella pathetically.

Walking back to the door she turned to give the pretty brunette coming undone before her eyes another self-satisfied smirk.

"Now you hold onto those thougths like I told you. Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. See you then. Oh...and don't worry if Lisa doesn't wake up for a while. I made sure to slip her a sleeping pill just so our little conversation wouldn't be disturbed," Angelina informed, laughing as she opened the bedroom door and sauntered out.

Gabriella watched her go and when she had, turned her lovely face even more into the carpet and released an agonizing scream that surely even God could hear.

_After The Big Game..._

Just as Chad had known they would from the moment Taylor had placed that chain around his neck, the Wildcats came away later that night with a repeat win of the championship played before an adoring throng of family, friends and peers. Even with the worry that he and Troy now equally shared when it came to Angelina and how she may have somehow been responsible for the death of his mother and Gabriella, neither one had let that keep them from fulfilling their promise to Coach Bolton, their fellow teammates, or to each other.

Now, almost 10 minutes after the final buzzer had trumpted their glory to the world, the still cheering East High fans remained in the gymanisum filled with victory fever while he and Troy were finally making their way back to the locker room with the rest of the team. Both were anxious to hit the showers and then go out and enjoy what they could of the occasion in spite of the worry they'd decided to push to the back of their minds for the time being.

As the two friends came around one of the gym's downstairs corridors, arms thrown around each other's shoulders amidst the throng of their rowdy teammates, Chad caught sight of Taylor standing by the entrance to the locker room, looking happier than he'd seen her in a very long time. She waved at him and he waved back before breaking away from the crowd, with an encouraging shove by Troy, to make his way over to where she stood.

They waited until the exuberant mob of ecstatic basketball players began drifting off into their testosterone haven with Coach Bolton and his assistants pulling up the rear, before even daring to say anything that was unlikely to be heard over the wall of noise in passing.

Once things had quieted down and they seemed to be alone for the moment, Chad smiled as he reached out a hand to Taylor which she gladly took in her own.

There was so much they wanted to say but the words wouldn't come and all they could do was stand there and stare at each other with silly grins on their faces that spoke of their happiness at just being together. Then Chad smoothly stepped forward and gathered Taylor up into a tight embrace, lifting her off the floor and spinning her around several times.

"I love you Taylor McKessie. There will never be anyone else for me now and forever," he happily proclaimed, finally placing her feet back on solid ground but continuing to hold her in his arms unable to let go. "Thank you for being here tonight and sharing all of this with me. Troy and I could never have done this without you and Gabriella or those good luck charms of yours."

Taylor blushed, her smile wide and beaming.

"You're very welcome. Anything for the team. Tonight's your night and it was well earned."

"Anything for the team?" Chad laughed, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. "Forget them. And as for tonight...well...they may get some of it for a while but the rest of it belongs to you and me if that's okay?"

"Oh really? And just what did you have in mind Mr. Danforth?" Taylor posed coyly, although the desire in his eyes was hard to miss.

"It's not really something I can tell you about here and now, but give me some time to shower and change and after we make the rounds of a few parties then I'll be able to show you what I mean," Chad replied with a knowing grin.

"Sounds like the plan I've been waiting for," Taylor agreed, her heart soaring. "I'll go let Sharpay, Ryan and Kelsi know that you guys will be up in a bit and then we can get this celebration started."

She stepped out of Chad's embrace about to make her way upstairs to rejoin their friends, when he reached out, pulled her back, and then enveloped her in a passionate kiss. Time seemed to stand still in that moment as the impact of their lips set off what felt like fireworks inside Taylor's head and heart.

When Chad relased her, she gave him a breathless yet dazzling smile and slowly began to walk away again. She'd only taken a few steps when Taylor stopped, sensing that his eyes were still upon her, and turned with a laugh.

"Oh and by the way..." she said, still warm from his touch. "...I love you too Chad Danforth. With all my heart. Thanks for finally coming to your senses."

Chad laughed as he watched her turn and continue on her way. Then he entered the locker room suddenly thinking of his mother and how proud she would have been of him tonight, feeling happier and more alive than he had in months. Yes...once again...the future did look bright.


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter 73

_A Week Later..._

In the hour just before dawn, when yet another sun-drenched day sat poised on the horizon, Lisa Danforth awoke with a start, unexpectedly gripped by a desperate sense of urgency carried over from her haunting dreams.

Throwing back the covers with a shiver and a sigh, she sat up in bed and slowly looked around, coaching herself in silence to just breathe and calm down.

After a few moments, when she finally was able to settle down, Lisa's troubled eyes drifted over in Gabriella's direction as she lay sleeping in the bed next to her own. How lovely she was, the older woman thought, remembering back to when she too still possessed that long-ago innoncence that often slipped away all too quickly. What must her poor mother be going through right now believing that such light and promise had been taken away before it really had the chance to take flight and soar.

Sighing, Lisa found herself seized by a stab of overwhelming guilt at the sobering reality that the only reason Gabriella was here in this godforsaken place to begin with was because long ago, before she was even born, Lisa had unknowingly become friends with a psychopath whose own daughter had grown fatally attracted to her beautiful son.

Thinking back over the time in her life when she and Diana DeLeon had been nothing less than close as sisters, Lisa still couldn't believe that the intertwning of their lives and those of their families after all those years, had ended up taking such a sad and drastic turn as to breed the kind of obsession, jealousy, and hatred which ultimately led to Marissa's death and Diana's suicide.

Now all that remained was the vengeful grief of a family of which Lisa had once loved almost as dearly as her own, and the teriffying certainty that if she didn't devise a plan to act upon before Angelina left that day, not only would Gabriella's life surely come to an end, but that of Chad, Troy, Taylor and others as well.

Tears of frustration began to fill Lisa's eyes, as she closed them and crumpled back against the pillows, doing her best to fight off the feelings of near defeat that seemed with each breath to suffocate. Suddenly she was startled by the feathery touch of a hand upon her face and opened her eyes to find Gabriella kneeling by the side of the bed with just a hint of a smile across her lips.

"Don't cry Mrs. D. Everything's going to be all right. Trust me. Some how, some way, Chad and Troy are very close to figuring this whole thing out and, when they do, the're going to come and find us. Just wait and see."

Lisa blinked her astonishment at Gabriella's words, totally unprepared for what she'd just been told.

"What on earth makes you think so?" she asked, wiping away tears while sitting up to make room on the bed for her companion to join her.

"Because," Gabriella stated, as she raised herself up from the floor to sit down upon the spot that Lisa had smoothed clear. "I had one of my special dreams last night and in it Chad and Troy had discovered something which left little doubt in their minds that we both weren't really dead."

"What special dreams are you talking about sweetie?" Lisa inquired, staring at the petite brunette with an odd expression. 

"Oh! I thought you knew already?" Gabriella exclaimed in surprise. "I thought for sure Chad would have told you by now."

"Told me what honey?"

"That I sometimes can 'see' things in my dreams before they actually happen. The technical term is precognition. My mom and grandmother call it my second sight."

"You do?" Lisa stated, hoping that her face didn't register the hint of disbelief she was experiencing in hoping that this wasn't just the strain of their captivity having finally found a voice.

"Yeah I do. Ever since I was a little kid," Gabriella explained, deciding to overlook the suspect expression confronting her. "It was how Troy and I were able to find Taylor and Chad when Marissa, her mother, and Julian were holding them hostage on the last night of Senior Weekend. Didn't Chad ever mention any of this to you after we all got back home?"

Lisa shook her head apologetically, "No honey I'm afraid he didn't. I guess at the time I was just so relieved that all of you had made it out of there more or less safely, that the details of it never crossed my mind."

"That's understandable. Goodness knows I wanted to forget about it after all was said and done. But, of course, that's never gonna happen," Gabriella surmised, her tone maturely accepting.

"No sweetheart it's not," Lisa said quietly, a lump forming in her throat, as she realized that this was the second time that Gabriella's life had hung in the balance because of the DeLeon family and their acts of revenge. "I'm so very sorry this has happened to you again."

Gabriella smiled and patted Lisa's hand lovingly.

"Please don't blame yourself for any of this Mrs. D. I know you probably think this is in some way your fault for having been friends with these people, and that I am only here by association with Chad, but you can't think that way. Angelina, her father and their entire family are/were a very sick bunch of people. They could just as easily have taken Taylor, Sharpay or even little Corrine to put in my place here with you. Irregardless, we and the people we desperately love would all still be in danger."

"You're right," Lisa admitted with a tortured sigh. "They could have taken one of the others and it would still be as heartwrenching as it is now on both sides. But the reality of the matter is that you are the one who was taken and brought here to this prison of the DeLeon's making with me now. The fact that I feel as though I failed you in not being able to come up with a way to at least get you free from this place is something that will haunt me until I do."

"Well for the record you haven't failed me Mrs. D. Not once. If it weren't for you I don't know what kind of shape I'd be in right now," Gabriella gratefully replied.

"That's very sweet of you to say. Thank you."

"No. Thank you. We are a team in this and it is up to the both of us to get ourselves out of this fix together. This is why having my dream, after they had stopped for such a long time, gives me hope that everything is going to be alright."

"Ahhh...yes...your dream," Lisa stated with renewed attentiveness. "You said that in it Chad and Troy had found some information to help them find us? Do you know what that might be?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No I don't. But my dreams are never wrong and always come to pass. I can tell you this though...it's Chad who will set the ball rolling...be the one to notice whatever it is that triggers the action he and Troy take afterwards. It's something he sees on Angelina that answers his suspicions."

"Something he sees?"

"Yeah. Like maybe a piece of clothing or jewelry or something. The key here definitely involves an inanimate object of some kind," Gabriella stated confidently. "I know it sounds strange but that's what I saw."

"An inanimate object huh?" Lisa repeated, trying to wrap her her around the possibility that this entire story wasn't as far-fetched as it sounded.

She thought for a moment about how something Angelina wore could be the life line needed to bring those they loved to their rescue, when suddenly an idea came which almost blew her away.

Scrambling off the bed, Lisa went over to the tiny bureau in the corner of the room, where the clothes she and Gabriella had first arrived in were kept, and slipped a hand into one of the drawers.

When she came and sat back down again, the palm of her hand opened and a pair of lovely one-of-a-kind earrings landed gently on the bed.

"These are our inanimate objects sweetie," Lisa said, trying to keep the hopeful tone of her voice in calm perspective. "These earrings are part of a set that I've had ever since college, Diana got the other pair. They were made for us by one of our professors whom we both admired greatly. Diana and I were two of her most promising students and when we graduated these earrings were the gift that she gave."

Gabriella reached out a hand and picked up the beautifully delicate pieces of jewlery, holding them up to her face for closer inspection.

"They really are lovely Mrs. D. I've never seen a design like this before."

"I know. That's why they are the perfect clue for Angelina to take back with her when she returns home. Troy won't see the significance in them but Chad definitely will. I guarantee it."

"Why is that?" Gabriella wondered.

"Because he's heard me speak about and wear them more times than I can remember," Lisa explained. "When he was a baby, I used to dangle them in front of his face and watch him become hypnotized by the shape and colors that come off the stones inside. Not that Chad pays that much attention to what I wear now...but I'm telling you, he will not miss the meaning of these earrings if they are being worn by Angelina."

"So I guess my next question is...how do we get her to take them back with her not to mention wear them so they can be seen?"

Lisa took a moment to think on the prospect of how they could accomplish the goal they desired, when the answer came to her plain as day.

"Okay...here's what we'll do," She stated, lowering her voice a bit while scooting closer to Gabriella on the bed. "I know Angelina almost as well as I do my own children. I practically helped raise the girl so I certainly have inside knowledge as to how her mind works..at least most of the time. The easiet way to get to her is to feed into her vanity or, should I say, be intimidated by it."

"How do you mean?" Gabriella asked, her curiosity clearly peeked.

"I mean that Angelina loves to know she holds the power of keeping people off guard by making them insecure of her beauty. Like on her first day here when she drugged me so she could have time to torment you about Troy," Lisa explained, remembering how upset she'd been when she'd found out what had been done to her. "Angelina got off on making you feel like Troy's love wasn't as true as you've always believed it to be by telling you about that kiss. She was empowered by the pain she inflicted on you because she knows you've always been put off by Troy's little crush on her. "

"He doesn't have a crush on her," Gabriella denied, unanxious to revisit that knot in the pit of her stomach that had come when Angelina had told her about that intimate moment with the boy she loved. "He...he...he just thinks she's beautiful...like most guys she comes into contact with. It doesn't mean he has a crush or anything."

"Exactly!" Lisa exclaimed, taking Gabriella's hands in her own. "Angelina's beauty draws people to her like a magnet and that's what we need to play on. The fact that her vanity will blind her to the true purpose of our intent by getting her to leave here with these earrings in tow."

"And how exactly do we do that Mrs. D? We can't just give them to her."

"No we can't. Instead, we'll let her take them letting her think that she's hurting us in someway by doing so," Lisa surmised, her excitement over their plan building by the moment.

Just then the two companions were startled when they heard keys rattling outside the bedroom door announcing their soon to be visitor.

Gabriella scrambled off Lisa's bed and returned to her own when Angelina sauntered into the room and gave them both a look of unconcealed contempt.

"My, my...you two are up rather early. I was sure that you both would still be asleep and that my little check-in would go unnoticed."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Lisa stated, making a pointed gesture of scooping up the earrings so that the scene was sure to catch Angelina's attention. "I wasn't able to sleep so I was telling Gabriella stories about when your mother and I were in college together. For some crazy reason I haven't bored her to death going on and on about Professor Finch and how close she was to Diana and I."

"Yeah...mom used to love to talk about her all the time, especially when we were kids," Angelina stated, the snearing look she had entered with softening just a bit.

"I'm sure she did," Lisa continued, pleased to see her captor quickly take to the subtle bait she was offering. "No one meant more to either of us in those days than Professor Finch. That's why her gift of these earrings to us when we graduated still means so much even to this day."

Lisa suddenly held up the two precious pieces of lifeline that held their fate, and let them dangle in the air so that they caught the first ray of sunlight now streaking in through the curtains. Dawn was arriving.

Angelina immediately recognized the earrings her mother's once best friend held in her hand and gasped, remembering that their matching set now lay in a coffin six feet under, spending an eternity attached to Diana's cold lifeless ears.

She had not wanted them to go with her mother's body because of the harsh feelings she had toward Lisa and her family, but it had been a apart of a last request list that Diana had written years before when detailing how she she wanted to be buried when the time came. And it was for that reason and that reason alone, that Angelina had honored it. But now, seeing Lisa sitting there holding something that had symbolized the friendship she'd had with Diana, one that her eldest daughter believed had been completely betrayed, Angelina found herself filled with dangerous rage.

Reaching out with lightening speed, she snatched the earrings from Lisa's hand and glared at them distastefully.

"Isn't it ironic how my mother is pushing up daisy's wearing the counterpart to these treasured pieces of her past, and you just so happen to also be wearing same when you too unexpectedly 'died'."

"Ironic doesn't even begin to cut it," Lisa stated, keeping her expression solemn for Angelina's benefit, although inside she was happy as could be to see the plan she and Gabriella had devised going so well.

"Your absolutely right," the auburn-haired beauty replied, her eyes fixated on the dancing baubles that made her heart ache with loneliness for the mother she would never see again. "That's why I think they should now belong to me since they were given to you both as a symbol of your everlasting friendship and you and your son betrayed that bond."

Lisa kept her motherly instincts to rush to Chad's defense intact for the venom in which her child's name had been spoken, but knew it was more important to let Angelina believe that she was in control of the situation for the time being.

"But you can't keep them," Gabriella spoke up, glancing over at Lisa knowingly. "They were a cherished gift meant for Mrs. D and your mother."

Angelina scowled.

"That they are," Lisa chimed in. "Professor Finch once told Diana and I that only the most beautiful of women inside and out could wear such exquiste jewlery without being overpowered by it."

"Did she now?" Angelina replied in a mocking tone. "Then I guess it's safe to assume that they'll befit me perfectly as their new owner won't they?"

Lisa went to protest but Gabriella beat her to the punch.

"They aren't yours to have. Don't you understand? They were a gift given in love and admiration to your mother and her closet friend."

"Shut up!" Angelina growled, turning on Gabriella with a seething look of fury in her eyes. "Not another damn word out of you. Not one!"

"Please Angelina, just calm down," Lisa soothed, now assured that the bait had been successfully taken as hoped. "Why don't we talk about this. I mean...those earrings are a very important part of my life. It would kill me to part with them."

The beautiful young woman responded by laughing in her face, a twisted thrill in her expression at knowing she was still able to bring one of her most hated enemies more deserving pain.

"Lisa...that is the perfect reason above all others for me to keep these beauties for myself. Not only will they give me another connection to my mother, but I'll have the pleasure of knowing that I've once again succeeded in robbing you of yet another loving memory that you weren't worthy enough of to have in the first place."

And with that, Angelina took the earrings and placed one onto each ear, feeling greatly empowered by the look of devastation she saw registered on Lisa's face. Little did she realize that her nemesis was putting on the performance of a lifetime to ensure that she remained in a carefully laid trap, which seemed to be going better than planned.

"Well ladies...this has been fun and all...but I really only came in here to make sure you both were 'comfortable' before I return home today," Angelina announced. "There's still so much left for me to do before all family debts are properly settled."

Gabriella and Lisa felt both fear and anger well up inside themselves but each was smart enough to hold her tongue, unwilling to take the obvious bait. After a few seconds Angelina tired of their blank expressions and headed for the door. Just before leaving, she turned once more and gave her captives one last up and down.

"Now you two be good while mama's gone," she taunted brazenly, rattling the keys that would soon lock them into prisoner status once more. "I promise to be back real soon and when I do it won't be alone."

A fearful Gabriella was about to open her mouth and ask what exactly Angelina meant by that remark, but she caught the stern look of Lisa's disapproval from the corner of her eye and thought better of it.

"Oh...and not to worry. I'll make sure daddy takes real good care of you while I'm gone," was the farewell assurance, which did little to ease anyone's fears, as the tall lovely frame finally departed, closing the door behind it.

Once Angelina was gone, Lisa and Gabriella both exhaled and then looked at one another with hopeful eyes.

"We did it," Gabriella whispered, going over to her bed and sitting down on the edge. "I can't believe she took the bait."

"Well I can," Lisa stated, pleased that their little plan had gone off without a hitch. "Now all we can do is hope that at some point soon she slips and wears those earrings around Chad so he can obtain the clue he needs to realize things aren't as they seem."

"He will," Gabriella replied wistfully, suddenly overwhelmed with a terrible longing to see Troy again. "Like I told you before...my dreams always come true."

And so an hour and a half later, while Angelina was boarding her flight anxious to return and finish laying the groundwork for her still unfinished plan of revenge, back home Chad was slowly rolling over in his sleep semi-awake to snuggle up against the warmth of Taylor's body which lay happily beside him in bed.

"You awake?" He whispered against her ear, his hand softly stroking the length of her arm. "I know you are."

Taylor, who had been awake for the past five minutes, stiffled a giggle at him knowing her so well but didn't bother to answer. Instead, she continued to pretend that she was still fast asleep. Chad of course wasn't fooled in the slightest and to show that he knew she was as awake as he, began to tickle Taylor's side until she could no longer play possum. In seconds, Chad had her squealing to stop as she thrashed on the bed trying to get away from him.

"See what happens when you try to get cute with me," he laughed, pulling Taylor close and manuvering both their bodies on the bed until she was laying on top of him, her chin resting comfortably against his bare chest.

"That's only because you don't play fair," she protested with a silly grin. "You know how much I hate to be tickled."

"Alls fair in love and war baby," was Chad's reply, a mischevious smirk upon his face.

"And which one is this?" Taylor inquired. "Love or war?"

"I'll let you decide," Chad taunted, reaching down to tweak her nose lovingly.

"Well I know if you don't feed me soon it's definitely going to be war because I'm starving," Taylor stated matter of fact. "A girl can only go so long without sustenance, especially after she's worked up such an appetite."

She gave Chad a naughty wink, which made him laugh and blush at the same time.

"You know...if you keep talking like that...I may just start to get a big head."

"What do you mean start?" Taylor teased, placing a feathery soft kiss upon his skin. "Last time I checked you were practically carrying the _Goodyear_ blimp around on your shoulders.

Chad shook his head in mock disbelief and sighed contentedly. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"We can discuss that after we eat," Taylor promised, throwing back the covers and sitting up in bed, where she proceed to enjoy a long cat-like stretch.

She was about to run her hands through her head of tousled hair, when she caught sight of her engagement ring sparkling in the sunlight. Sighing, Taylor moved her hand into eye's view and stared dreamily at the symbol of her love and future, happier than she had been from the very first time it was placed on her finger all those months ago.

"Feels good to have it back where it belongs doesn't it?" Chad stated as he propped himself up against the pillows, proud that he'd finally done the right thing in seeing to its return. "You do know that you can never take it off ever again right?"

"That's a deal," Taylor agreed, leaning forward to kiss him softly on the lips, her thoughts drifting back to the night before, when he'd again gotten down on bended knee to repeat the same proposal given during Senior Weekend.

In all honesty, she hadn't intended to spend the entire night with Chad even though that is exactly what had happened after finding out that his father and sister were away for the weekend. Sharpay had encouraged her to "go for it" promising to cover for them if need be, and so Taylor had arrived at the Danforth house a little after 8:00 p.m., to find a romantic candlelit dinner of her favorite Chinese food awaiting her along with Chad more than anxious to officially make things right between them once again.

They'd enjoyed a wonderful week of coming back into sync with one another following the Wildcat's championship win, and last night was the culmination of them finally able to feel that they were as before, bonded in every way that mattered. Nothing and no one would ever come between them again, or so they thought, until the moments of that special morning were suddenly interrupted by the ringing of Chad's cellphone from the nightstand beside the bed.

"Hello?" he answered after putting the phone up to his ear, already aware that it was Troy on the other end.

"She's coming back today," Troy announced, wasting no time in cutting to the chase. "Just called me to say she'd be around this afternoon. Wants us to hook up for a little while."

"Sounds like a plan," Chad replied, eyes fixed on Taylor who was staring up at him with a curious expression. "You need me to do anything?"

"Yeah. I want you and Taylor to join us?"

"What?!" Chad exclaimed. "Are you crazy. That's never gonna happen and you know why."

"I guess that means you still haven't told Taylor yet about our suspicions have you?" Troy scolded.

"No I haven't. I was waiting until we had something more substantial to go on."

"Well we don't," Troy stated impatiently. "But today could be our lucky day. Besides, I think Taylor, being a girl and all, might pick up on something that as guys we'd probably miss."

"Like what Troy?" Chad asked.

"I don't know...something. Anyway...it couldn't hurt to have another set of eyes and ears helping us out on this one. You and I both know that Taylor is even more suspicious of Angelina than we are which could actually work to our advantage."

Chad took a moment to ponder his friend's suggestion, all the while still under the probing gaze of the woman he loved laying beside him.

"Okay. I'll see what she says and get back to you in a little while."

"Sounds good. Just give me a call to let me know what's what and then I can set a time for all of us to meet up with Angelina when she makes contact again," Troy stated before hanging up and the line going dead.

Chad closed his phone and replaced it on the nightstand, still under the scrutiny of Taylor's watchful eyes. He knew she was dying for him to spill about what he and Troy had discussed, but there was obvious hesitancy as he wondered how she would feel when he told her of their suspicions.

Sensing that Chad was holding something back from her, Taylor slid up next to him in bed and laid her head upon his shoulder with a sigh.

"You know you're going to have to tell me sometime what your little talk was all about, because you know I won't stop bugging you until you do," she calmly relayed, sensing the tension that had suddenly come to join them in the room.

Chad's response was an amused laugh, as he moved an arm around her shoulder and pulled Taylor closer.

"I know, I know," he conceded, hating the unexpected intrustion on their time together. "But you aren't going to like what I have to say."

"Probably not...but tell me anyway. No more hiding and secrets remember?"

Chad nodded in understanding and then proceeded to confide in Taylor all that he and Troy had surmised, which led them both to believe that Angelina may have had something to do with the deaths of Gabriella and his mother. When Chad was done, he braced himself for Taylor's hysterical reaction but none came. Instead, she sat up and looked at him with sad tenderness before leaning in to caress his face sympathetically.

"You know if what you say is true, then we have to find a way to make Angelina pay for what she and her family has done to us once and for all. There is no way in hell that she is going to get away with this."

"But that's just it Tay...we don't have any proof that Angelina did have anything to do with what happened to my mom and Brie. Right now all we have are hunches. Nothing concrete whatsoever," Chad admitted with frustration, although glad to finally share with her the secret he'd been keeping for over a week now.

"So how do we turn those hunches into proof?" Taylor wondered, her anger at the thought of Angelina in any way starting to rise. "Is there some way we can trip her up and get her to give something away that we can nail her on?"

"Well that's what Troy's call was all about," Chad explained. "She's apparently been out of town for the last week and is finally coming home today. He wants us to hook up with them later on so the three of us can put our feelers out and see if we can't get something useful from her that starts things falling into place."

Although Taylor loathed the idea of spending anything remotely like quality time in Angelina's presence while she put the moves on Troy, it was a sacrafice she was willing to make if it meant getting to the truth of what had happened the night of Chad's birthday party, when all of their lives were changed forever.

"So...you think you want do this with us?" Chad asked hopefully.

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world," Taylor assured, slipping off the bed and heading toward the bathroom where she intended to take a shower.

Pausing just outside the doorway, she turned and stared at Chad, who was still lying on the bed.

"Aren't you coming to join me?" She invited with a sexy little smile. "You know I can't reach my back without help."

Chad couldn't resist laughing, as he leaped up and closed the distance between them with only a a few steps to go. He wrapped Taylor up in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"You amaze me," he complimented, happy that she was now apart of this mystery that he and Troy were desperate to unravel. "I don't know what I would do without you always watching my back."

"Well lucky for you Chad Danforth you'll never have to find out," Taylor promised with a smile. "But I want you to know something before we go any further with things."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

Taylor's smile faded and her expression grew very serious.

"If you and Troy are right about Angelina and we can prove that she had something to do with your mom and Brie going overboard on the yacht that night, rest assured that you'll have to hold me back because I guarantee my first instinct will be to strangle the life out of that evil witch until she is dead."

_Several Hours Later..._

It was just after 2:00 o'clock, when Taylor and Chad pulled up into the parking lot of the Lake Terrace seafood resturant, only to run into Zeke and Sharpay who had been out bike riding in the vicinity.

"Well, well, well...if this isn't a surprise," Sharpay stated, taking off her helmet, as she shook out her hair from its confinement. "I didn't think we'd see the two of you around unitl Monday morning."

Taylor laughed at the obvious insinuation since Sharpay had known that the two of them had spent the night together, and gave her friend a pleased look of mutual conspiracy.

Chad and Zeke didn't even try to chime in to what was clearly an inside secret between their women.

"So...you planning on grabbing a bite to eat at the LT?" Sharpay inquired, changing the subject, as she sensed Taylor wished her to do.

"Yeah...as a matter of fact we are," Chad offered. "Nothing like a little alone time with the one you love. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Definitely man," Zeke stated, having just enjoyed the last few hours of being able to have Sharpay all to himself for once. "I couldn't agree with you more."

Sharpay laughed.

"Is that your way of saying you won't be inviting us to join you guys?" she teased, waiting to see if her accusation would make Chad uncomfortable.

Taylor jumped in before he could answer.

"Of course it is silly. But if you behave yourself, we may be able to fit you in later...say for a little dinner and a movie?"

"That works for me," Zeke stated with approval, glancing over at Sharpay for confirmation. "Maybe we can head out around 7:30 or so?"

"8:00 o'clock would likely be better," Chad suggested, now keeping an eye out for any sign of an arrival by Troy and Angelina, one which he didn't want his other two friends to be made aware of just yet. "Well give you a call once we've gone back to the house and had a chance to just chill for a while."

"Fine by me," Sharpay accepted for both Zeke and she, as she went to put her helmet back on, aware that they were in the middle of a none too subtle brush off, one that she couldn't wait to privately quizz Taylor about.

The two couples were about to part, with Zeke and Sharpay having remounted their bikes, when Sharpay suddenly remembered she had some very exciting and important news to share.

"Oh...by the way...if you two are interested, my folks have rented a couple of condos down in Mexico for spring break in a few weeks and we wanted to ask if you both would like to come."

"Spring break in Mexico?" Chad exclaimed, a cheesy grin instantly appearing upon his face. "Are you kidding me?"

"Not at all Danforth," Sharpay assured. "Mom and dad wanted to do something for us and our friends given what we've been through the last several months and decided that a little getaway across the border might do the trick. They realize we are heading into the home stretch of our last year at East High and that without Brie there it won't be as we had expected, but still should be enjoyed for her sake as well as our own."

"That's a really great gesture Shar," Taylor said, feeling a bit guilty that she and Chad were being offered fun in the sun, while they could be on the verge of learning why it was that her best friend wouldn't be there to join them. "How soon do we have to let you know if we can make it?"

"By the end of next week. That's when daddy will be finalizing all the travel plans."

"Well we'll definitely have an answer for you by then," Chad promised, just as he caught sight of Troy's car pulling into the parking lot, with Angelina beside him in the passenger seat.

Taylor spotted them as well, and quickly waved off Sharpay and Zeke with the excuse that they were going to be late for their reservation, but they'd all see one another later that night.

Their friends took the hint and went off to continue their bike adventure, just as Troy and Angelina parked, got out of the car, and walked over to where Chad and Taylor were standing.

At first the encounter between the four of them was awkward to say the least, but Chad and Troy took the initiative to tone down the anymosity between the two women who clearly weren't feeling each other by steering them in the direction of the resturant entrance. And it was while they were walking in, with Angelina and Taylor before them, that Chad caught sight of the clue his mother had been so desperate for him to discover and which had been predicted in Gabriella's dream...those one-of-a-kind earrings, dangling like a neon sign in front of his face.

For a moment, Chad was halted in his tracks so abruptly that Troy nearly ran him over in the doorway, as the women continued to proceed before them.

"What the hell...why did you just stop like that?"

Still staring at the earrings which now seemed to be taunting him in their swing and sway, Chad turned to his best friend, eyes wide with shock.

"We were right all along man. She did have something to do with what happened to mom and Brie just like we suspected."

"How do you know?" Troy quizzed, as he caught both Taylor and Angelina turn around to look back at them wondering what the hold up was.

"Because those earrings she's wearing...those belong to my mom," Chad stated, the reality of the truth he spoke causing him a sense of great anger.

"Are you sure?" Troy wondered with skepticism. "I mean...how can you be sure."

"Trust me I'm sure. My mom has been showing off those earrings to me, a gift from a professor of her's in college who also gave Angelina's mother a matching pair as well, ever since I was a baby. They've always meant a lot to mom and she's never let them out of her sight since the day they came into her possession."

"So wait...you're telling me that all the proof we need against Angelina is hanging from her ears right now? That that's all we need to connect her to what happened to Mrs. D and Gabriella."

"Yep," Chad reiterated. "No way would my mom ever let those earrings out of her sight. The only way Angelina could have gotten a hold of them is if she got them away from mom herself and to do that..."

"Hey...what's the problem here?" Taylor asked, walking up to them with mild annoyance, not wanting to be alone with Angelina any longer than she had to be.

"Nothing baby...nothing," Chad stated, giving Troy a "we'll finish talking about this later" look, as he placed an arm around his fiancee's waist and steered her over to where Angelina stood, who was also trying to figure out what was keeping them all from going inside.

"Sorry about that," Troy apologized, walking up to the auburn-haired beauty trying to look as sincere as possible, although inside he too was seething with rage that his suspicions about her had been right all along. "Didn't mean to keep you ladies waiting."

"Are you sure everything's alright," Angelina questioned, detecting that something of importance had just taken place between the two best friends, even though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what that was.

"Sure...sure...everything's fine. Let's go inside and eat," Troy diverted effortlessly, as he watched her from behind, thinking of how much harm he wanted to inflict on her at that moment, for the why and how of the lives she'd shattered when she'd seen to the deaths of the girl he loved and the woman who had been like a second mother to him since childhood.

Payback was coming and it wouldn't be pretty.


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter 74

"Are you sure you've packed everything you'll need?" questioned Sharpay from the foot of Taylor's bed. "Not that it really matters. Anything you don't have we can easily buy when we get there."

"No...no...I think I've got it all covered," Taylor replied, her eyes darting anxiously to the clock on her nightstand. "I just wish that Chad and Troy would hurry up and come already. Zeke, Ryan, and Kelsi arrived over a half hour ago."

"True. But when have those two ever been on time for anything except basketball practice? I love you and Chad, but seriously...when you finally are ready to get married, I think he should definitely be the one whose given the time of the ceremony an hour before everyone else," Sharpay stated with a laugh.

Taylor herself was unable to keep from smiling at the truthfulness of the statement made, even though her protective first instinct was to come to Chad's defense.

"You know that's not funny Shar," she scolded playfully.

"The hell it isn't. You know I'm telling the truth Tay. Like I said before...love Chad to death but..."

"Will you please back up off my man?" Taylor laughed, shaking her head as she zipped up her suitcase. "I know he can sometimes be a a bit time challenged and all, but this is far too important for him to take lightly. Not to worry. He'll be here soon."

"Exactly," Sharpay stated, crossing her arms with a smug little grin. "Which is why I want you to stop looking like a dear caught in the headlights, take a deep breath, and just relax for a second. You've been on the jittery side ever since I got here."

"Have I? Yeah I have. I'm sorry," Taylor apologized with an admitted sigh, as she sat down on the bed next to her friend. "I really am trying to keep it together."

"I know you are. None of us are blind to how important this trip is or what could ultimately be at stake. The bottom line is that we have to find out once and for all what really happened to Brie and Mrs. Danforth, and what, if anything, Angelina had to do with it."

Just then they were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up into the McKessie's driveway and knew that Troy and Chad had finally arrived. It was confirmed a few seconds later when Zeke came to the foot of the stairs and yelled up "They're here!"

Sliding off the bed, Sharpay turned to Taylor and asked, "You ready to do this? Because if you're not..."

"...If I'm not it really doesn't matter does it?" Taylor finished for her. "We can't turn back now, not even if it means putting our own lives in danger to see that some type of justice prevails."

"Good girl," congratulated Sharpay. "As long as we remember we're all in this together nothing's going to stand in our way of learning the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. And...on that note...I think I'm going to leave now and go tell the others that you'll be down in a minute, okay?"

"Okay."

After Sharpay had gone, Taylor took another deep breath to calm the last of her nerves, thinking back to just two weeks ago, when their darkest fears and greatest hopes had begun to reveal themselves, a pair of earrings the unlikely key at the heart of a mystery unsolved.

_Two Weeks Ago..._

The minute Troy and Angelina drove away from the Lakeview Terrace restaurant after sharing a civil but tension-filled lunch with Chad and Taylor, Chad had snatched his fiancee by the hand, and practically drug her to the car, so anxious was he to spill the news of the remarkable clue that had landed in their laps.

The minute the car doors were shut, he immediately began realying to Taylor the story of his mother's earrings. How seeing them dangling on Angelina was like a neon sign of proof that she undeniably knew something having to do with the deaths of his mother and their best friend.

Taylor listened to Chad's disturbing tale in shocked silence, her own thoughts spinning as more and more of what he was saying seemed likely to be true.

Later, after cancelling their plans of dinner and a movie with Zeke and Sharpay, the two of them had gone to see Troy, where the three of them ended up brainstorming half the night. The majority of their discussion centered around what their next move would be, and how fast they had to work to come up with something before Angelina realized they were onto her games.

But where to go from here?

Troy was adamant in his belief that Angelina's disappearance the week before was another major clue in the unfolding drama, his only problem being that he couldn't quite figure out what that gut instinct connection could be.

Taylor wasn't altogether sure what to think of the information that had been thrown at her to process, but she had no qualms in believing that whatever fate had fallen upon Brie and Lisa, a DeLeon had had a hand in it.

Chad was the one who surprised them both when he began to question Angelina's motives for being on the yacht the night of his birthday party, and whether or not her supposed grief over the loss of her father had simply been nothing more than an act in order to gain access to all the people whose lives she wished to destroy? And if this truly was the case...did that mean that Mr. DeLeon wasn't as dearly departed as they were all so convincingly led to believe?

At first Taylor and Troy seemed a bit skeptical with this particular line of reasoning, mostly because it was too over-the-top mindblowing to believe. Yes, they all were pretty sure at this point, after the earring reveal, that Angelina was some how involved in what had happened to Lisa and Brie. However, even with their confirmed suspicions, Troy and Taylor still found it a little difficult to comprehend.

Chad explained that it would be easy enough to lie about without question, given that the DeLeon's had pretty much become outcasts after the insanity unleashed by Diana, Julian, and Marissa during Senior Weekend. Not many people associated with the family after that, preferring to keep themselves at a "safe" distance to protect their own image in the eyes of the community at large. How many would have been the wiser or even cared about what had happened to the remaining members of the DeLeon clan in the aftermath of such a nightmare?

And while Troy still felt it was a longshot at best, he agreed when Chad suggested that they pay a visit the following day to the place where Mr. DeLeon supposedly had passed away, to see if they could learn the truth of what really did or didn't happen to him for themselves.

Taylor offered to see if she could find out where Angelina had booked her flight to, with a call to an aunt who owned a travel agency and had access to previously booked ticket information.

Troy stated that he was willing to spend even more time with Angelina to see if he could locate her used boarding pass or interary for any additional clues, but was warned against it for fear that doing such would rouse suspicion, which at this point they needed to keep on their side alone.

And so, after a long evening of putting together a solid plan of action, the three friends finally parted ways, all agreeing to meet up the following day and see what their sleuthing had uncovered.

The next morning, bright and early, Chad and Troy headed over to the St. Lawrence Convalescent Hospital, where they were fortunate to gain entrance by fabricating a story about doing research for a paper that was part of a final for one of their classes.

The adminstrator in charge, an older gentleman who appeared to be in his late 50's, seemed hesitant at first to honor their request for information merely due to their age. But once he realized that Chad and Troy were star members of the Wildcat's basketball team, he quickly changed his tune, more than eager to offer his assistance where he could.

Troy took the lead by first asking for information on how patient's were admitted, their care, etc., so as not to let his real intentions come across too obvious, but it was Chad who actually threw out the real bait when advising of how a close family friend had recently lost a loved one whom he had been told eventually died in this place.

The odd reaction on the administrator's face when Leo DeLeon's name was mentioned, provided even more evidence the two young men needed to know that they had possibly stumbled upon a conspiracy more cunning than imagined.

"Who on earth told you such a thing? About Mr. DeLeon being a patient here who eventually died?" the older man asked, sitting up at attention behind his desk, a flustered expression on his face.

"My folks," Chad lied with ease, not wanting to bring Angelina's name into the picture. "They told me that Leo...Mr. Deleon...had suffered a stroke and was brought here to be rehabilitatedm but ended up dying instead."

The adminstator shook his head in disbelief.

"Not trying to say anything against your parents young man...but the information they received was completely false. Mr. DeLeon's only invovlement with this facility is due to his being a member of our Board of Directors, a position he held up until last year when his wife and daughter died. Aside from that connection, he has never been a resident/patient here to the best of my knowledge."

"Oh," Chad replied, glancing over at Troy with a knowing eye. "My bad."

"Yes...it is bad that someone would ever dream of telling such a misleading lie. I hope you inform your mother and father that Mr. DeLeon is most definitely alive."

"Yes sir I will. Obviously the person who relayed such news to them got the facts all wrong."

"Indeed they did," the adminstrator stated with slight indignence.

"Well...it seems like we've taken up enough of your time today," Troy quickly conceded, anxious for them to depart so they could hook up with Taylor and share their latest discovery yet. "So I think we'll just be going now so you can get back to work. Thank you for your time."

"Yes, thanks a lot," Chad chimed in. "You've really been helpful."

"Yes you have," Troy agreed, standing up to shake the older man's hand, who was completely unaware of the hope he'd just given them.

"Well it was a pleasure speaking with you both. And again, congratulations on last week's spectacular win. East High is surely going to miss the two of you once you've graduated."

"One would like to think so," Chad playfully joked, shaking hands good-bye as well, before following Troy out the door.

Neither one said a word until they'd gotten back to the car, where Troy instructed that they call Taylor to have her meet up with them immediately, just as Chad was flipping open his cellphone to do just that.

Twenty minutes later, the three of them were seated in a booth at one of their favorite hangouts, putting together more pieces of the puzzle that were clearly bringing them closer to learning the truth about the people they loved. And when Taylor advised that Angelina had flown down to Mexico the week before, it only opened up more avenues begging to be This explored. This revelation, like with the earring, resulted in Chad recalling a forgotten memory, which he quickly relayed to them over burgers and fries.

The event that had taken place occurred when he was just a kid, around six or seven. The Danforths and DeLeons had taken a combined family vacation together south of the border, having stayed in a luxurious condo owned by the DeLeons overlooking the vast expanse of ocean.

Chad had all but dimissed this particular trip from his mind not only because it was from so long go, but also because what he mostly remembered was his being sick from drinking the water and having to spend most of his time in bed, rather than on the beach frolicking in the sand with everyone else.

"So what does all of this mean exactly?" Troy pondered aloud. "We've got Angelina coming back from Mexico wearing a pair of Mrs. Danforth's earrings, earrings that Chad is certain she wore the night of his birthday party, along with finding out that Mr. DeLeon isn't quite as dead as we thought and could be walking around God knows where."

"And don't forget that we've suddenly got Angelina acting like she's your new best friend looking to be more," Taylor added, taking a sip of her drink. "Along with her scheming to obviously stir up trouble between the both of you by that hussified kiss she planted on Chad."

Both guys laughed at her still obvious irritation over that particularly unpleasant incident.

"It's not funny," Taylor pouted.

"No baby it isn't," Chad soothed, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "And I promise you nothing like that will ever happen again."

"You bet it won't. Trust."

"Okay...okay...lets get back to the work at hand shall we?" Troy reprimanded, instantly putting the brakes on the lovers' minor dispute so as not to be distracted from continuing to figure out where things stood. "What we need to decide right here and now is if we're all in agreement as to whether or not any of this means that Brie and Mrs. Danforth could still be alive? Does it seem even remotely possible after all this time?"

Putting their personal disagreement aside, both Chad and Taylor acknowledged that it wasn't so far fetched given the evidence uncovered, that the two could very well still be alive.

"So what do we do with all these bits of information? Go to our folks and tell them what we suspect and hope they don't think us crazy?" Troy speculated.

"No. We take Sharpay up on her invitation to go to Mexico for spring break and try to find them ourselves," Taylor suggested, much to the surprise of both young men.

"What invitation?" Chad questioned, this being the first time he'd heard anything about a trip for spring break, let alone to Mexico.

"Didn't Sharpay tell you guys? Earlier in the week she informed me that her parents had rented a condo for she and Ryan to take some friends and go down to Mexico for spring break."

"Get out of here," Troy scoffed. "Are you serious?"

Taylor nodded. "Very serious. I thought for sure you guys already knew about it and just had yet to say anything."

"No, we didn't. But we couldn't ask for better luck or timing now could we?" Chad surmised. "We can use going away on spring break as our cover with our folks none the wiser. Then when we get to Mexico, we can do some investigating to learn what we can about what migh have happened to mom and Brie."

"Me likey," Troy stated, flashing the first genuine smile he'd worn in months. "It's definitely worth a try."

"And what about Sharpay, Ryan and the others? If we do this they'll have to be told exactly what we are up to and why," Taylor pointed out. "Are we ready to pull them into something whose outcome even we still aren't quite sure of yet?"

Both Troy and Chad took a moment to consider Taylor's words then agreed that they had gathered more than enough information to let the others in on and allow them to decide for themselves if their plan of action was worth the risk.

And so the following day, they called up their close-knit group of friends asking them to meet up in the park, where Taylor, Chad and Troy revealed their suspicions and all they had learned since then that left them with little doubt that Angelina, and now possibly her father too, were responsible for whatever fate had befallen Gabriella and Lisa.

At first Zeke, Ryan, and Kelsi were hesitant to believe that what they were hearing could actually be true. It was just too unimaginable to consider. But it was Sharpay who jumped right in to commit herself to whatever plans Troy, Chad and Taylor had in mind, convinced from the start that they were telling the truth. After that, it was all a done deal.

Now, a week later, the group of friends were departing for what their families believed was their last big fling before graduation only two months away, when in actuality it was all about something far more important and life-changing.

Initially, Ted Danforth, the Boltons and McKessies weren't sure if their children were ready to take an unsupervised trip to another country without a chaperone. But they finally gave in to the idea, after learning that the Evans' had some very good friends who were also going to be in Mexico at the same time, and had offered to keep an eye on the teenagers for them. That, along with Sharpay's folks stepping in to convince the other parents that after all their children had been through the last several months, that they deserved to enjoy the little time that was left of their senior year together, is what ultimately helped finalize the deal.

Mr. Evans had arranged for a limo to take them all to the airport, where they would board his private jet to be whisked away on a holiday of a lifetime, unaware that he was also sending them into what had the potential of becoming a very dangerous situation from which none of them might return.


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 75

With 20 minutes to go before their plane finally landed at a private airfield just outside Mexico City, Taylor gazed thoughtfully out the window upon the tiny dots of landscape looming far below, hoping and praying that this trip they were making would not turn out to have been in vain.

Although they still had no solid proof that either Lisa or Gabriella were still alive, none of those partking in this their greatest and most uncertain journey yet, could bring themselves to believe otherwise after everything they'd learned since that fateful night of Chad's party,when the world as they'd known it had turned completely upside down.

There truly was no going back now, and it was simply a matter of time before all the hunches and unanswered truths were finally discovered, hopefully bringing with them the closure to a mystery at long last solved.

Leaning back in her seat with a wistful sigh, Taylor closed her eyes and thought back to a few days before, when she'd received a call from Carla Montez asking her to lunch. It had been several months since the two had spoken, given that Carla had gone to stay with relatives for a while until she was able to get past the worst of her grief over losing her daughter.

Excited by the invitation and eager to see the woman who had become like a second mother to her, Taylor showed up for lunch the following day promptly at noon. After embracing in a tender hug just outside the restaurant, Carla ushered them inside to their table where she sat down and immediately pulled a handful of envelopes from her purse and spread them out like a giant paper fan.

"What are these?" Taylor asked, fingering one of the envelopes with unveiled curiosity. "A surprise of some kind?"

"See for yourself," Carla replied, signaling to the waiter to bring them some water, as she watched her daughter's best friend with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Taylor hesitated for only a moment, before snatching up one of the envelopes as instructed and turning it over to read what it said on the other side.

"Oh my God!" she gasped, looking up into Carla's face in total shock and surprise. "This...this...this is an acceptance letter from one of the colleges Gabriella applied to isn't it?"

Carla nodded. "Yes it is. In fact, all of these are acceptance letters that I found waiting for me when I arrived back home. It seems that our Gabriella got into every single school she applied too, just like you."

"That's great!" Taylor exclaimed, before realizing that her sentiment wasn't altogether true. What could be so great about such wonderful accomplishments when Gabriella was no longer alive to bask in the rewards of all her years of hard work?

"I know sweetheart. I know," Carla Montez soothed, reaching over to take Taylor's hand in her own. "You probably think I'm crazy for even showing them to you in the first place. But I just couldn't let Brie's being acknowledged for all of her dedication to her studies go unrecognized even if only by us."

Just then, without warning, Taylor was suddenly pulled away from her daydream, by the weight of a body slidding into the unoccupied seat beside her, the touch of a hand gently reaching out for her own.

"Hey baby. You doing alright?" came the caress of Chad's whisper against her ear, their fingers intertwining in slow familiar comfort.

Smiling, Taylor opened her eyes in greeting, all thoughts of her visit with Carla put aside, happy to see the face that she loved so dearly hovering only inches away.

"I'm doing okay. How about you?" she asked, fighting back the tearful lump that had started to form in her throat moments before. "Looks like we should be landing any time now huh?"

"Yeah it does," Chad concurred with a nod, peaking across her at the near cloudless sky that filled the window next to her seat. "Sharpay thinks it will be another 15 minutes or so before we finally touch down."

"And not a moment too soon. I'm so ready to be on solid ground again it's not even funny," Taylor stated, lying her head upon Chad's shoulder. "I just want this whole nightmare to be over with and for all of us to finally be able to get back to the lives we left behind."

"It will be...it will be..." her finace soothed, caressing her cheek while resting his head against her own. "We are this close to finding out the truth of what really happend to mom and Brie. When we accomplish that, then and only then will we finally be free to put this all behind us and move on."

A few seconds later Troy came over and kneeled down beside Chad.

"So...how's everything going over here with you two?"

"Fine," his friends answered in unison.

"Good. You know we'll be landing soon?"

Chad nodded. "Yeah...Shar already informed me of our ETA."

"Well I just wanted you both to know that we aren't going to try to do anything today but get ourselves situated before we head out first thing tomorrow," Troy advised.

"Why tomorrow?" Taylor asked, sitting up from her reclined position against Chad's shoulder. "I mean...isn't the whole point of us coming down here is to hit the ground running?"

"Of course it is Tay. But after carefully considering what we may be up against, I think it's best if we first take a little time to formulate some type of plan since we are going to a place we don't know much about. The best thing we can do is head over to the condo once we land, unpack, relax, and have a good meal while we figure out what our next step is going to be."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Chad agreed. "The more prepared we are the better our chances will be of securing the leads we'll need to get the answers we want."

"Exactly," Troy said, smiling at his best friend. "Planning is everything. It got us all this far but now we need to seriously contemplate what we may be about to face and how to keep us all safe in the process."

"I hear you," Taylor sighed. "I'm just impatient to get this over with so we can all return home again."

"It'll happen babe all in due time," Chad replied, kissing her forehead tenderly. "But we've got to do this thing right. We have to be smart and stay alert to all that we know and what we don't. Mom and Brie's lives could depend on it."

"So you two still truly believe that both of them are alive?"

Chad and Troy looked at one another a bit surprised by the question.

"Of course we do. Don't you?" Troy asked curiously.

"I want to more than anything in this world," Taylor answered with hesitation. "I guess...I guess I just don't want our hopes to be too high only to have them come crashing down around us once again. We've been through too much already."

"I understand. But after everything we've learned in the last few weeks, I've come to feel deep down that Gabriella and Mrs. D are still with us. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's worth this trip and the risks involved to follow through on my gut instinct. Chad's too. Trust me Taylor, we aren't going down to Mexico for nothing and we will find out the truth of what happened once and for all."

Just then the pilot's voice came over the PA speaker to announce that they were approaching the landing strip and for all the passengers to buckle themselves into their seats.

"Hey guys! This is it!" Sharpay shouted across the aisle,as she and Zeke began uprighting their seats and strapping in as did Kelsi and Ryan.

Troy gave Taylor a reassuring wink as he patted Chad on the shoulder and then returned to his own seat for their final descent.

Twenty minutes later, after landing safely and deboarding onto the sun-drenched tarmac where they were happily greeted by the long time friends of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, the group of seven were waiting for the last of their luggage to be loaded into the cars that would take them to the condo where they would be staying for the duration, when to Troy's surprise his cellphone started to ring.

At first he thought it was one of his parents calling to see if they'd made it to their destination okay even though he had promised to touch base once they'd arrived, but was taken aback when he saw it was Angelina's number on the other end of the line.

Moving a few feet away from his friends, Troy took a deep breath and answered, willing his voice to sound as non-chalant as possible.

"Hey Angelina what's up?"

"What's up is that I've finally gotten a hold of you after getting no answer the last two days," was her slightly annoyed response. "Where in the hell have you been Troy? Did you forget that we had plans to hang out today?"

"Oh...we did? I'm sorry. It must have slipped my mind," Troy answered, remembering that he had made some offhanded remark earlier in the week about spending time together as a way to keep her from growing suspcious while they'd been finalizing plans for their trip.

"Slipped your mind? Is that all you have to say for yourself?" Angelina snapped impatiently. "I gave up an invitation to spend the weekend at a resort with some girls I used to model with just so I could hang with you."

"Really? You didn't need to do that," Troy said, trying to soothe her frustration, although he couldn't help smiling at raising her temper just a bit. "You should have said something and we could have made plans for another day."

"Well it's too late now. They've already left and I'm here waiting," Angelina stated, her tone softening a bit since he seemed to sound truly sorry for the inconvenience. "But all will be forgiven if you just tell me how long it will take for you to get over here and pick me up."

Troy glanced over his shoulder and saw Chad and Taylor standing by one of the open car doors looking at him with curious expressions trying to figure out who he was talking to, while the others were climbing into backseats preparing to leave. He signaled to them that he'd only be a minute before turning his attention back to the phone call at hand.

"Umm...Angelina...I won't be able to pick you up as planned," Troy replied. "You see...my folks got a call late last night that one of my aunts was very ill and we left early this morning to go see how she was doing."

"Do you mean to tell me you aren't even in town Troy Bolton?"

"Yeah...I am. Probably won't be back for a couple of days. You know how it is with family obligations and all."

There was an awkward pause between them as Troy waited for Angelina's response, expecting to be chewed out royally for leading her on. However, he was shocked when she did the complete opposite in a calm even tone.

"Yes Troy. Family obligations are very important and take top priority over every and anything. I totally understand."

"You do?"

"Of course I do. You and I can hook up once you get back. What you're involved in now is far more in need of your attention," Angelina conceded, having gone from a tone of irritation to one of sympathetic friend in a matter of seconds.

"Are you sure?" Troy wondered, not quite able to decide how to take her complete turnaround when only a few moments before she sounded like she wanted to wring his neck.

"Absolutely. Besides, it's not like you can just drop what you're doing and come running home now right?"

"No...that I can't do."

"Exactly. So just handle your business and give me a call when you get back. I'll be around when you finally have the time. And I promise not to hold a grude or be angry when we see each other again. In fact, I think we'll likely have a better time after you've put this whole thing behind you."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"Just call it a feeling," Angelina replied now without any trace of anger in her voice at all. "I hope everything works out okay."

Something about her words sent a shiver down Troy's spine, but he gladly took the out she was offering, as he could see his traveling companions were getting anxious about the delay to join them.

"So I guess I'll talk to you when I get back then?" he reiterated somewhat distracted, as he saw Chad flagging him to hurry over.

"Looking forward to it," Angelina practically purred into the phone. "You better go now."

"Yeah...I guess I better."

"Bye Troy."

"Bye."

And with that the line went dead.

Troy stared at his phone for a moment wondering why it was he suddenly felt so cold inside after their exchange, but then quickly threw the whole thing off, glad that he'd brought some time away from Angelina's curiosity without arousing any suspicion. Then he went to join the others without giving her another thought.

"Well? Did my hunch pay off?" Quentin Avery asked, propping himself up on one elbow to stare at the auburn-haired beauty lying naked by his side. "Has Bolton finally stepped into the trap that we laid for him?"

"And then some," Angelina replied, placing her cellphone on the nightstand next to her bed before stretching like a contended feline who had just captured her prey. "In fact, he's accomplished more than I ever thought to give him credit for."

"Oh really? How so?"

"He's in Mexico right now, no doubt with the rest of his little posse, trying I assume to follow the trail he and Chad stumbled on a while back hoping to find out what happened to Gabriella and Lisa."

"Get out!" Quentin exclaimed, scrambling to sit up. "He's really in Mexico? That means my idea to switch his phone with one that had a long range tracking device actually paid off?"

"Yes Quen it did," Angelina nodded with uncontained pleasure. "I can't tell you how glad I am you suggested we take such an initiative otherwise I wouldn't still be two steps ahead of him right now. Between that and the tip I got about his and Chad's visit to the convalescent hospital last week have all but delivered Troy right into the heart of my final plan of revenge."

"Guess this means I'll have to pay Steve handsomely for hooking me up with that transmitter. Hell, I may have to get a few more for some other folks I'd like to keep track of," Quentin gloated, throwing an arm around Angelina's waist. "The only question left now is what are you going to do next?"

A wicked laugh suddenly filled the room.

"That's easy. I'm going to allow Troy, Chad and the others to carry out whatever little plans they have in mind for being in Mexico and then I'm going to reel them into my net where they can all be destroyed together."

"So does that mean you'll be leaving soon to head south of the border?" Quentin asked somewhat disappointed that he would have to be without her once again.

"In a few days. I have some things I need to get in order here first. Then I'll be off to wait for them to come to me and won't they all be surprised when they find out I've bested them yet again."

"Do you need me to come along? Offer a helping hand so to speak?"

Angelina looked over at the lovesick young man laying beside her and reached out to caress his face.

"It's sweet of you to offer Quen but this is something my father and I need to take care of ourselves. You've already done more than enough in helping me succeed at what it is I have to do."

"But surely I can be of some..."

"I said no Quentin!" Angelina snarled, her eyes turning cold as she glared at him as if he were a stranger. "You cannot be apart of this game any longer."

Quentin cringed like a man physically stung by the harshness of her words.

"I'm sorry babe. I only wanted to show you that I'm ready to go the distance with you on this if you need me to."

"I know," Angelina replied, her anger disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "But I told you in the beginning that there would come a time in this situation when you had to step back and leave the rest of what must be done for my handling. That time is now."

"Fine," Quentin conceded with a boyish pout. "But I want you to promise to call me once you get down there if you decide things aren't going quite like you have planned."

"Thanks for the offer but everything will be just fine. Daddy and I have it all covered."

"Maybe that's true, but do me a favor and don't estimate Bolton and his friends okay? I know you see them as just harmless kids and all but they are a lot smarter than you are giving them credit for. I mean...look at what they've figured out already."

Angelina scoffed and rolled her eyes. "They've figured out nothing Quentin. They only suspect. All they do know is that my father isn't quite as dead as I painted him out to be and even that can't give them the answer they truly seek...to know what happened to the people they love."

"Well they definitely know that you were involved in that whole charade on the yacht that's for sure. And now that they know Mr. DeLeon is alive and well and have manged to sniff out a trail that took them down to Mexico no less, I'd say my advice to not underestimate them shouldn't be taken lightly," Quentin declared knowingly.

"So they have a few bread crumbs to lead them around. Big deal. Again, they still have no idea what is truly going on or where this little adventure of theirs will eventually take them. And by the time they do, it's gonna be too late to save themselves, Lisa or Gabriella," Angelina stated matter-of-fact. "Trust me."

Quentin sighed and snuggled closer.

"I trust you Lina. I know once you put your mind to something there's no stopping you. I just want you to play it safe and smart. Don't get so caught up in your own scheme that you make a fatal error that could cost you everything you and your father have worked for."

"You know something Quentin? You worry too much," Angelina soothed, wrapping herself around him as the reignited hunger for his body took control.

After they'd had another exhausting round of sexual fulfillment and he was finally lost to a deep and fitful sleep, Angelina reached for her phone once again and dialed out the number of her travel agent.

"Mona. It's me. I need you to book me a flight down to Mexico day after tomorrow."

_Later That Afternoon..._

After settling in to their 4-bedroom condo with it's own hot tub, swimming pool, and stunning view of the ocean where down below they also had access to a private beach, the teens were taken out for a marvelous dinner by Lila and David Anthony, the dear friends of Ryan and Sharpay's parents.

Although they were in Mexico for far more loftier pursuits than a spring break vaction to die for, Troy and the others made sure to play along as if that was exactly what they were there for, and went out of their way to convince their hosts that they had no grander plans than to enjoy a week full of fun in the sun.

When they returned to the condo just before sunset, the Anthony's suggested that they all go down to the beach for a welcome bonfire to be attended by all the other guests who were also staying in condos apart of the exclusive gated community. The group of friends eagerly accepted the invitation to solidfy their ruse, although none of them for a moment had forgotten what real the purpose in being there was truly all about.

At around 10:00 p.m., after enjoying themselves in the company of the resorts other patrons who were a friendly mix of people who gladly welcomed them into the fold, the teens bid everyone good night and anxiously headed back to their condo for some much needed alone time.

Once inside the privacy of their home away from home, they all gathered in the living room to discuss their plans for the following day, and how they would go about trying to locate any clues they could find that might help them learn what had happened to Lisa and Brie, and whether or not they were truly still alive.

Sharpay confessed that she'd spent most of that evening picking the Anthony's brains about a host of different things, in particular any information they might have on the resort that Chad claimed he and his family had stayed at with the DeLeons all those years ago. They were all pretty psyched when they learned that said resort was still around and located only 20 miles away in the next town over. It was where they decided to begin their first leg of investigtion in the hopes of learning if this was perhaps the place where Angelina and Leo had possibly stashed Lisa and Gabriella away after all these months.

After about an hour, they all decided it was time for bed and said their good nights with Chad and Taylor, Zeke and Sharpay, and Ryan and Kelsi going off to their rooms for some well deserved sleep, while Troy went to his alone aching for Gabriella with all his heart.


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter 76

On that very first morning after the arrival of her friends south of the border, Gabriella awoke not only wearing a smile of genuine happiness, but also filled with a sense of reassured calm that had never once been felt during all the months of her long and endless captivity.

Throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed, she made her way over to Lisa who was still fast asleep, shaking her gently with barely contained excitement.

"Mrs. D...Mrs. D...wake up, wake up."

Groaning at the intrusion of the only escape she had these days from the terrible fate that had now become their every day existence, Lisa Danforth rolled over onto her side and slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Gabriella beside her looking surprisingly radiant and yes even happy, the older woman instantly sat up in bed with a start.

"Brie! Sweetie. What is it? What's going on?"

The pretty brunette slid onto the bed and took Lisa's hands in her own.

"They're here Mrs. D! They're here!" she exclaimed, eyes dancing brightly.

"Whose here honey? What are you talking about?"

"Troy, Chad and the others...they're here Mrs. D in Mexico. They came to find us."

"What!?" Lisa shouted excitedly, before calming herself so as not to alert Leo who was still in his room down the hall asleep. "Are you sure?"

Gabriella nodded with confidence. "Absolutely. I dreamed about them last night. Saw all their faces clear as day. I don't know exactly where they are in terms of proxmity to us, but I do know that they are here and are trying to come to our rescue."

Lisa stared at her roommate in shocked disbelief, then gathered her into her arms with a hug.

"Are you sure about this Brie? Really and truly sure?"

"Yes. I am. I told you before when I have those dreams they are never wrong."

"But...but...how...when..." Lisa stammered, beginning to feel as giddy as Gabriella looked.

"They obviously discovered the clue we sent them with those earrings. My guess is that they started putting things together and coming up with answers and somehow, whatever they discovered, convinced them to come down here to look for us or at least for answers as to what really happened."

Just then both ladies were startled by a knock at the bedroom door, followed by the sound of a key being inserted into the lock, which opened to reveal Leo DeLeon standing before them still dressed in is pajamas and looking more than little irritated.

"Just what the hell is going on in here so early in the morning?" their captor snapped, obviously upset at having been awakened too soon. "I thought I heard somebody scream!"

Gabriella gave Lisa a subtle wink and then turned around from where she sat on the bed to reply.

"Ummm...sorry about that Mr. DeLeon. It was me. I had a nightmare."

"Oh really? Well young lady if you hadn't noticed it is now daytime and some of us were still asleep," Leo growled, unmoved by the look of innocence on Gabriella's face. "I suggest you keep it down in here until I come to get you for breakfast or else."

Lisa and Gabriella nodded in silent agreement under the angered gaze, until a few moments later Leo slammed the door shut, relocked it, and then lumbered off back to his room once again.

After he was gone, they resumed their discussion in quieter tones about Gabriella's dream. She advised that while she had seen the faces of the people they loved and they were most definitely in Mexico, there was still nothing made obvious to her if whether or not they would actually be found.

"Well we can at least hang on to the hope that they are here and looking," Lisa surmised with reason. "I too have no idea how they would even begin to know where to look for us, but just knowing that they are here makes me think that this hideous fate of ours may truly soon come to an end."

"At least we can be grateful that Angelina is nowhere around," Gabriella added with undisguised relief. "Something tells me that if she knew that Troy, Chad and the others were here in Mexico or anywhere near to discovering our whereabouts and exposing she and her father for the evil maniacs they are, that she'd do something...anything to keep them away."

"Yes...let's at least be thankful for that blessing," Lisa agreed, although she wasn't as convinced as she sounded.

Angelina was far more dangerous than Leo, who seemed to follow his daughter's will without question as though she were the parent and he the child, and it frightened Lisa to even think what might happen to her son and his friends if Angelina did in fact learn of their plans and the lengths she would go to to try and stop them.

When Troy opened his eyes that first morning in Mexico, he was immediately blinded by the harsh glare of sunlight streaming through his window, which had him jumping out of bed to close the blinds with a somewhat grumpy sigh. Once the room had been brought back to an acceptable level of semi-darkness, he sat back down on the mass of rumpled covers with a yawn working to bring himself fully awake.

After a few moments, Troy ran a lazy hand through his hair, checked the clock on the nightstand for the time, then stood up to stretch just as Chad was coming through the bedroom door.

"Time to rise and shine Prince Charming," his friend sing-songed with a smile, which was a bit of an annoyance given the hour of the day. "The girls are making breakfast for us, while Zeke and Ryan are taking showers, leaving you as the lone member in our little group to pull themselves together."

"Do you have to be in such a damn good mood?" Troy growled irritably, as Chad came and sat next to him on the foot of the bed. "It's really quite annoying."

"Oh is it? And who may I ask pissed in your Cheerios this morning Bolton?" his best friend joked, surprisingly unaffected by the less than pleasant greeting.

Troy couldn't help but laugh at the way his sour mood was being completely overlooked and playfully punched Chad in the shoulder.

"I'm sorry man," he apologized, realizing what an ass he was being. "I didn't mean to bite your head off."

"It's okay," Chad replied good-naturedly. "Rough night?"

Troy nodded as he stifled another yawn. "Yeah it was."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I didn't sleep too well is all. Kept having dream after dream about..."

"Gabriella?" Chad finished for him, his expression turning serious.

"Who else. I just kept seeing her face over and over in all these different scenarios. The last one really got to me with her reaching out and calling my name, begging me to help her," Troy explained tightly.

"I feel you man. I really do. But you can't let it get you down. Not now. We're way to close to finding the answers to all of our questions and when we do hopefully it will bring Gabriella back to you and my mom to me as well."

"I know," Troy conceded, suddenly feeling bad that he'd snapped at Chad when he too had so much riding on the line in their reason for being in this place so far from home. "I guess I'm just a little afraid that our coming down here won't give us what we want."

"But it will man. You just have to believe. I know all of this seems crazy but it will be so worth it if we find the people we love after all this time safe and alive, while finally being able to put an end to the crazy schemes of Angelina and her dad in the bargain."

"You're right."

"Damn straight I'm right," Chad said with a smile. "Now hurry up and get dressed and come downstairs for some breakfast. We've all got a big day ahead of us and we don't want to waste any of it sitting around here when we should be out doing what we came down here to do."

Fifteen minutes later, after a nice long shower and change in attitude, Troy joined the rest of his friends in the dinning room, where they were all seated around the table discussing their plan of attack over bacon, eggs, toast and juice. He took a seat next to Sharpay who gave him an unusually warm smile before she turned back to the others to finish her train of thought.

"Like I was saying before guys...I think it's a good idea if we split up this morning and try to seek out whatever clues we can to figuring out just where Angelina might have stashed Brie and Mrs. Danforth all this time."

"Well we definitely need to check out that condo resort that me and my folks stayed at all those years ago to find out if the DeLeons still maintain a time share there," Chad chimed in as, he accepted the platter of bacon being passed to him from Taylor's hands.

"Agreed," Zeke chimed in, taking a sip of juice before turning his attention to the eggs on his plate. "But where else?"

"I think we should check out the surrounding area as well," suggested Kelsi, biting into a piece of toast. "I mean...if Chad's hunch is right and the DeLeons maintained some sort of visible profile within the community for a time after his family's trip down here with them, someone whose been around here for a while might be able to give us some clues as to whether or not that is still the case now."

"And what if they did keep coming down here after that long ago joint vacation but at some point switched up and moved the party so to speak to another location we know nothing about?" Taylor asked, turning to her finace with curious eyes. "What then?"

Everyone at the table looked over at Chad.

"So what do you say Danforth? Any chance there could be some truth in what Taylor is saying?" Ryan questioned.

"Sure...I guess," Chad replied. "But as far as I know, based on what my folks have said over the years, the DeLeons continued to come down here on family trips and never once did they mention to me that they weren't staying at the resort we're going to go check out in a bit. It's possible that they did eventually decide to change to a new location but if they did I never heard about it. To be honest, I never really cared that much considering I was just happy that we never had to join them after that one and only time."

"So your families never took another vacation together again after that?" Sharpay wondered, daintly wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Even though you all were pretty close up until last year?"

"No we did," Chad quickly corrected. "We went on several outings together all the way through jr. high as I recall. But those were things like camping trips, or one or two visits to Disneyland and the Grand Canyon. What I'm saying is that we never came back to visit Mexico with them is all. And once I got to high school, most of those vacations came to an end as we kids got older and started having our own interests involving our friends."

"But what about when you were dating Marissa during Freshman year? Surely she must have confided in you about the time her family spent down here when they did right?" Zeke asked, pushing his empty plate away with a contended sigh of fullness.

"Only once," Chad admitted, the heat of Taylor's gaze upon his face making him slightly uncomfortable. "Marissa's folks were planning a trip down here and she didn't want to go because it would keep us apart for a week. We didn't discuss the details of whether or not they were staying at some place other than the one I remembered, just that we didn't want to not see each other for what seemed like an eternity at that time."

"And that was the last either of you or anyone in your family ever talked about anything relative to the DeLeon's and Mexico?" Sharpay reaffirmed, taking a sip of her vanilla latte made from the expresso machine that came equipped with the condo.

"Yeah Shar, that was it. Shortly after that, when Marissa came back, she and I started having problems in our relationship and broke up," Chad stated, wanting this portion of the conversation to finally be over.

"So I guess we'll just have to assume, until we learn otherwise, that the DeLeon's did in fact maintain their condo here and start there as planned since for right now we've got nothing else to go on," Troy concluded, he too now finished with the last of his food. "It seems all to easy that Angelina and her father would keep Brie and Mrs. Danforth in such a likely place, but we're never gonna know if we don't check it out for ourselves."

"And just like Kelsi suggested, we also check out the surrounding area...stores, shops, etc., to see if anyone knows or knew of the family to see if we can't stumble across a lead of some kind that way too," reminded Ryan, who stood up from the table and began collecting dishes to take to the sink.

"We also have to remember that we're talking timeshare here gang," Sharpay pointed out, following her brother into the kitchen with dishes of her own. "That means that the DeLeons weren't the only ones sharing that condo throughout the years. It would be helpful if the same people who did so with them were still around because they would definitely provide us with some much needed information if willing to talk."

"The operative word here being if," Chad noted. "From what I know about timeshares which isn't much, people can either trade off or sell their time to other families over a long period. So those who might have known the DeLeons or about them back in the day, may have switched up years ago and are nowhere around now to help us out one way or the other."

"Exactly," Taylor chimed in taking both their plates to also be deposited in the sink. "Which is why until we actually go to this resort and see for ourselves who is in residence there now and whether or not any of them even know who the DeLeon's are/were we won't have much of anything to go on."

Their conversation was momentarily interrupted when Mr. and Mrs. Anthony came walking through their front door calling out happy hellos while looking every bit the eager chaperones they were designated to be.

"And how are all of you doing this glorious morning?" Mrs. Anthony asked, walking over to Sharpay and giving her a friendly hug.

"We're doing great," Ryan replied, taking Kelsi's hand and walking over to his parents' friends. "All of us are ready to hit the road and see some of the sights this area has to offer."

"We'll I'm glad to hear that," Mr. Anthony replied congenially. "I thought it would be a good idea if we took you guys around to some of the neighboring towns to get the lay of the land for your first venture out. There are some great shops, sights, and restaurants within a 50 mile radius of here and it is a lot less hectic then actually driving into the city unless, of course, you want to go there which we have no problem accommodating."

"No, no...a leisurely trip just in the immediate area sounds like a great idea to me," Sharpay spoke up without hesitation. "It will get us prepared for the bigger stuff later on in the week. Besides, we want to come back this afternoon and hang out by the pool, catch some sun and maybe host a barbeque on the beach like the one we had last night."

Mrs. Anthony smiled in agreement. "I think that's a wonderful idea Sharpay. All of you were quite a hit with the residents here and I'm sure they would love to spend more time getting to know you all. We can hit a few of the towns, go shopping for some food, and be back before sundown to get our little fiesta started."

And so a few minutes later, the two chaperones and seven teens all piled into the two rental cars at their disposal and headed out, with neither Mr. or Mrs. Anthony even remotely aware that sightseeing and shopping were the last things on the minds of their group of young charges.

Three hours later, after already visiting two of the five towns in the vicinity, the caravan of visitors finally came to the town where Chad recalled as the location of that long ago vacation he and his family had shared with the DeLeon's. Luckily,this was also the location with the best market in a 50 mile radius, so while Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan, and Kelsi went off with the Anthonys to look around, do some snooping of their own, and gather supplies for the barbeque later that night, Chad took Taylor by the hand and slipped away with Troy unnoticed off to see what they could learn as well.

The three friends made a hasty retreat the short distance back down the winding road leading into the town, anxious to locate the property they sought from Chad's memory alone, warmly greeted along the way by both locals and tourists alike. Once they hit the main thoroughfare again, they began to walk along noting that there were quite a few private resorts on either side of the road, some nestled in the hills above and others along the shoreline.

Taylor and Troy waited for Chad to give them the sign that they were finally at the location he remembered from childhood, and weren't disppointed when 10 minutes later he pointed to a cluster of condos situated beachside behind a large wrought iron gate inscribed with the words "La Uno Bella" (the beautiful one).

"Hey! This is it!" Chad shouted with excitement, pulling Taylor along with Troy close behind, all three making their way down the slight cobblestoned incline toward the main entrance, hearts pounding in nervous anticipation.

Lisa and Gabriella where in their room playing cards, trying their best to stay upbeat while avoiding those nagging pangs of "cabin fever" which both knew only served to frustrate, when suddenly an odd sensation seemed to ripple through Gabriella's body from head to toe, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"What is it Brie?" Lisa asked, the smile she'd been wearing only moments before now suddenly replaced with a look of motherly concern. "Is something wrong?"

The pretty brunette sat quietly for a moment staring at her companion with dazed eyes, not sure what exactly it was that was making her feel the way she did for it was truly unexplainable.

"Gabriella...sweetie...tell me what's going on?" Lisa implored, dropping her cards and taking the young girl's hand in her own. "Are you feeling ill?"

"No...no...not ill..."

"Then what? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Gabriella shook her head as if in a trance. "I...I...I don't know what it is Mrs. D...just that I have the strangest feeling..."

Her words trailed off as she stood up from where she sat upon the bed and slowly walked over to the partially opened window overlooking the seashore below. Gazing out across the vast expanse of cloudless sky, the warmth of the sun caressing her skin while the scents of rose and jasmine mingled in the air, Gabriella's eyes scanned the never-ending horizon, randomly searching for something unknown.

Then, as if in slow motion, her attention was turned downward to a world that she'd been cut off from long ago, the sight and sound of the ocean her only familar comfort now, when she saw something that frightened greatly and had her believing she must be losing her mind.

"It can't be," Gabriella whispered softly, pressing her face against the glass of the window, believing she was in the midst of a grand hallucination. "I must be dreaming."

Lisa was about to jump up from the bed and go to her side, scared that all these months of confinement had finally taken its toll, when she was stopped in her tracks by the sound of an unsettling scream.

"Trooooy!!"

Chad and Taylor were standing at the entrance to La Uno Bella, waiting for someone to come open the main gate after having rung the bell for admittance when Troy, who had been standing a few feet away taking in the surrounding scenery, suddenly turned in the direction of the hillside above, his heart skipping a beat in a moment of unexpected surprise.

"Hey! Troy. You okay?" Taylor asked, walking over to him, just as a man was appearing from inside one of the condos behind the gate where Chad stood ready and waiting. "Someone's coming to let us in."

He turned to her with a look of bewilderment in his big blue eyes.

"What's...what's wrong?" she asked nervously, the look on his face troubling.

"I know this is going to sound crazy Tay," Troy stated looking about as he shook his head disbelivingly. "But I could have sworn that not two seconds ago I heard Gabriella's voice calling my name."


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 77

At first, when Lisa heard Gabriella shriek Troy's name in that high-pitched tone filled with anguish and longing, she didn't quite know what to do, having been taken so aback by the unexpected outburst. However, Lisa came to her senses quickly when she saw that her young companion was beginning to pound on the window pain in tearful frustration, while literally trying to find a way to climb out the window after her heart's desire.

"Gabriella! No!" Lisa yelled, racing over to take hold of the emotional girl whom she brought down to the floor gently wrapped in her arms. "What in God's name do you think you are doing?"

"It's Troy! It's Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed, desperate to pull away so she could find him again before it was too late. "He's down their Mrs. D. I saw him clear as day!"

"You saw Troy at the bottom of the hill?"

The pretty brunette nodded. "Yes. He was standing in front of that resort across the road looking right up here as if he could see me!"

"But..but...that can't be," Lisa stammered, her heart skipping a hopeful beat, as Gabriella took the slackening of arms about her as the opportunity needed to run back to the window.

Her eyes frantically searched across the tropical landscape far below desperately seeking another glimpse of that unmistakable face that loved her like no other...but it was gone. He was gone.

Lisa came up beside Gabriella and again placed an arm around her shoulders. She too looked down the rugged hillside to the road below, but only caught sight of a few passing cars and a smattering of locals walking to who knew where.

"I tell you Mrs. D I'm not crazy," Gabriella stated in a now calm whisper. "I really did see Troy. He was down there. Even if only for a second I saw him. He's here with the others just like I dreamed. He's here because he's getting close to finding us with Chad. You do believe me don't you?"

"Of course I do sweetheart," Lisa soothed, squeezing her gently. "You just startled me by your reaction is all. I suppose there's something to be said for those dreams of yours afterall then isn't there?"

"I'm sorry. I know I was behaving like a crazy person before. It's just that when I saw Troy so real to my eyes and knew in that very instant I wasn't seeing things or hallucinating, I just had to get to him anyway I could. To let him know that I'm...that we're...that they are closer than ever."

"Well...while I truly admire your determined spirit young lady, I suggest you think twice next time about trying to squeeze that cute little body of yours out a window that barely opens enough to let the breeze in," Lisa joked with a laugh. "I know Troy is cute and all but it's okay to make him work for you once in a while."

Gabriella glanced over her shoulder in mock surprise then smiled.

"You're bad Mrs. D."

"But am I lying?" Lisa asked with a knowing wink.

They both started to giggle and it was in that moment that Leo DeLeon decided to appear, bursting through the bedroom door looking mad enough to kill.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" he bellowed angrily, eyes darting about the room before settling on his two captives. "All that damn screaming and banging on things! Do I have to go back to tying you little ladies up again for the duration to regain some order around here?"

_Twenty Minutes Later..._

By the time Troy, Taylor and Chad finally made their way back to the market town up the way to reunite once again with their friends and chaperones, Troy had decided for the time being to save his suscipions about what he had heard until he could make clearer sense of it himself.

Taylor had tried to be as understanding as she could when he had told of hearing Gabriella's voice calling to him high above the trees, even going so far as to scan the lay of the land for herself to corrobarate his story, but in the end seemed less convinced that he had truly heard anything other than the longing within his own heart.

And while she was figuring out a way to give Troy the benefit of the doubt as friends strive to do, their suspended moment had been abruptly cut short by a visibly frustrated Chad who came stomping up the drive from the main gates of La Uno Bella looking annoyed and somewhat dejected.

"What's the matter baby?" Taylor asked, suddenly shifting her more intense focus onto her man, while unintentionally shutting out Troy's puzzlement of whether or not he'd truly heard the sound of Gabriella's voice after all. "What happened?"

"Rules of privacy is what happened," Chad snapped, coming to stand beside her in a huff. "The manager refused to give me any information about the residents of this place past or present. Said it was a violation of privacy and that unless I was a resort member he could divulge no information beyond supplying me with one of their stupid brochures."

"Oh," Taylor sighed in disappointment. "Well did you at least get to bring up your having stayed there once with your family and the DeLeons?"

"Yeah I did. But he claimed to have only been working as the manager there for the last five years and had no recall of anyone by that name having been a guest during that time."

"Guess this means we'll just have to go back to the condo later and mull this out. See if we can't come up with another plan to set us on the right track again," Taylor surmised with what she hoped sounded like optimism and not defeat.

"Yeah...I guess," Chad grumbled before turning a curious glance in an all too quiet Troy's direction. "Hey! What's up with Bolton? How come he's standing there looking completely spaced out?"

At the mention of his name, Troy instantly snapped out of his daydream.

"Nothing's the matter with me bro. You're the one about to blow a blood vessel."

"Yeah...yeah," Chad waved him off. "Whatever. I say we get back to town and hook up with Sharpay and the others before they think we've gone missing."

Taylor glanced over at Troy waiting for him to tell his best friend about what he had heard, but Troy remained strangely quiet, although he did manage to meet her eyes and give a subtle shake of the head to indicate he wasn't ready to talk about it again which she respected.

"Okay...let's hit it," Chad signaled, taking Taylor by the hand, while Troy pulled up the rear, turning back several times with a haunted expression on his face.

A short time later, the three friends strolled casually into the center of town and instantly spotted Zeke and Sharpay standing arm-in-arm at one of the stands in the corner feeding each other little pieces of fresh fruit. Ryan, Kelsi nor their chaperones were anywhere around as Chad, Troy and Taylor walked up to greet the flirting couple.

"Hey guys!" Sharpay exclaimed with a smile, feeding Zeke the last piece of pineapple in her hand while he licked at the juice from her fingertips. "How did everything go? Were you able to find out if the DeLeon's still stay there?"

"It was a bust," Chad replied with annoyance. "Just a big waste of time. The manager of the resort wouldn't even allow us onto the property, let alone divulge any info about the guests."

"Well are you sure it was the right place? I mean there are a lot of resorts in this area, more than I thought, so isn't it possible that you were at the wrong one?" Zeke optioned in his matter of fact tone.

"No man...it was the spot," Chad conceded. "While we were walking back I started really remembering what it was like when last down here and La Uno Bella was definitely the place the DeLeon's took me and my family too all those years ago."

"Ooooh La Uno Bella. Sounds nice," Sharpay stated, impressed. "Is it as luxurious as it sounds?"

"Oh it's nothing much. Just your run of the mill seaside resort with the big fountain in front, lots of lush overflowing trees and larger than life flowers, and of course these beautiful cozy casas with terraces to the sky and stairs that lead to the ocean," Taylor recapped much to Chad's surprise, who thought she'd barely paid any attention to the place when they were actually there.

"Wow! I'd love to see it. Can we go back again?" Sharpay wondered excitedly.

"Sure, if we have a good enough reason too which, at the moment we don't," Chad stated, still visibly disappointed by what he perceived as a failed mission.

"But we do have a good enough reason to go back. Gabriella is there. I know she is," Troy suddenly spoke up after being almost silent the last hour and a half. "I heard her voice call my name and as crazy as that may sound I know I wasn't dreaming."

Chad, Zeke and Sharpay just stood there for a moment with their mouths hanging open, while Taylor stood quietly by not saying a word about that which she'd already been told.

"Look guys, you can think whatever you want but I'm telling you I heard Brie call my name clear as a bell. She and Mrs. D are somewhere back there and we now have to figure out how to find them and bring them home."

"Okay...just for arguments sake...let's just say that you're telling the truth," Chad opined, coming out of his temporary state of shock. "How in the hell could you have possibly heard Gabriella calling your name from behind the gates of the resort but Taylor and I didn't?"

"Because...he didn't hear her calling to him from inside La Uno Bella but from across the road somewhere high up on the hillside," Taylor stated coming to Troy's defense, glancing over at him with a tiny smile.

"You mean you already knew about this Tay?" Chad questioned, feeling a bit slighted that he'd been left out of the loop this whole time. "Why didn't you say something before?"

"I asked her not to," Troy interjected. "I knew it sounded a little too crazy to believe so I had to get it all straight in my own head first. But now that I've had more time to really think it through, I'm positive that I heard Brie and that she is somewhere in one of those houses up on the hill."

_Later That Evening..._

While the Anthonys took charge of hosting the festive barbeque beach party well underway among the other guests that were also staying at their resort, Troy, Chad, Zeke, Taylor and Sharpay were all seated around the kitchen table of their own condo trying to sort out how best to deal with Troy's revelation earlier that day. Now that they all believed they finally knew the approximate location of where Gabriella and Lisa were possibly being held, the focus now turned to figuring out exactly where they were and more importantly, how to rescue them from their captors.

They had learned from the Anthonys on their drive back from the market town, that the homes on the hillside across from La Uno Bella were in fact not a resort at all, but a gated community of private homes that were only vacationed in by their actual owners.

That prompted Sharpay to put a call into her parents when they got back, asking for their help in locating one of their friends in the real estate business who might be working in the area. Her mother and father thought the request strange, but an hour before the barbeque, she received a call from a Robert Herve who ran one of the most successful real estate firms in all of Mexico. Sharpay convinced him that she was secretly looking for some land to have developed for her family's new vacation home and on that premise, managed to secure an invitation to view the few vacant lots still available on the property the following day, with the tour to be given by Mr. Herve himself.

Now seated in a semi-circle around the marble-topped island, the group of friends had to figure out the best way to everyone other than Sharpay in on the action. It was suggested that Ryan and Kelsi spend the day with Mr. and Mrs. Anthony to distract them from the activity of the others should they find out and start asking questions not ready to be answered. Then it was decided that Taylor would accompany Sharpay as her guest, posing as the daughter of another wealthy family looking to secure vacation property just like the Evans.

The more difficult task at hand was how to get Troy, Chad, and Zeke in the same location at the same time as the girls without arousing suspicion about their true motives. Thus, it was finally agreed to that the guys would have to somehow be positioned at the gates to the property when the girls arrived and, when opened to let Sharpay and Taylor in, that they slip onto the grounds hopefully without notice.

_The Following Day..._

It was a little past 10:00 a.m., when Robert Herve arrived at the condo to pick up Sharpay and found himself being introduced to Taylor as the unexpected add on guest.

Not the least bit put off by the company of yet another beautiful young woman with wealthy parents, the real estate mogal happily led the girls out to his car, while Troy, Zeke and Chad waited out of sight in one of the other rooms, ready to take their leave right behind them.

The minute the front door closed and they could hear Sharpay and Taylor playing up the fact that they were really excited about picking out the perfect spot for their families to build new vacation homes, the guys slipped out the back byway of the terrace and got into one of the cars that the Anthonys had rented for the week. Then they waited until Herve and the girls pulled off down the incline leading to the main road, before starting the engine of their own car to follow.

Twenty minutes later, Robert pulled his car up to the gates leading to the exclusive homes on the hill opposite La Uno Bella, just as Troy parked in a tiny grove of trees a few feet away. He, Chad and Zeke, literally jumped out and hid themselves for a few moments until they could see the other car driving up the long winding lane before racing between the slow closing gates which closed within inches just behind them.

Now that they were on the other side, each of the guys took a deep breath, having gotten past their first big obstacle, and then began to look around to see what they should focus on next. Above them, on another plateau of the winding road, they could still see Sharpay and Taylor seated in the convertible with their guide as he continued to drive them toward the top of the hillside.

Everywhere they looked there were beautiful scaled down versions of expansive villas more luxurious than they could have imagined scattered among the lush overgrown foliage that gave the impression of them being lost in a tropical paradise. For a moment Chad had a hard time believing that the DeLeon's could possibly afford what it surely must cost to maintain a residence in such wealthy surroundings, but his thoughts were interrupted by the tugging of Troy's hand at his arm as he and Zeke began to make their ascent up the road looking for any sign of Gabriella, Lisa or their captors.

"This place is unbelievable," Zeke exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers, drinking in all the glamour and granduer around them. "You would never know from looking up here from the main road that all of this was behind those gates."

"I hear you man," Chad agreed wholeheartedly, watching as Troy was sizing up every home they came across as they continued to play catch up to the girls' destination at the top. "This place looks like something only rock stars and royalty would have access too."

"Exactly. It's almost hard for me to conceive that a place like this would be a hideout for would be kidnppers."

"Well it seems like the perfect place to me," Troy interjected, suddenly motioning for his friends to duck with him behind a cluster of trees when he spotted a car pulling out of one of the private garages carrying a woman and two little kids inside.

They waited until the coast was clear once then again continued to cautiously manuver along trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Nearing the top of the hillside, the three friends finally spied Taylor, Sharpay, and their guide now out of the car, walking around by two spacious lots with Mr. Herve clearly pointing out all the attributes of having a home built on a piece of land that resembled heaven on earth. None of them noticed Zeke, Troy and Chad standing on the tiered road just below them but the guys could tell that the girls were somehow keeping a look out for them while trying to appear otherwise to their host.

"Looks like Taylor and Sharpay are doing a good job at keeping that guy distracted for us while we look around," Zeke noted, proud that his girl was such a consumate actress. "That Herve guy doesn't appear to be the least bit suspicious of our presence here at all."

"Well as long as they can keep him occupied like that until we find what we are looking for it's all good," Troy stated, noting that there remained only two more houses on the crest of the hill right above where the girls were standing.

He was trying to figure which of the two homes was the more likely choice of being the location in which they could find Lisa and Gabriella when suddenly the attention of them all was captured by the sound of an approaching car.

"Someone's coming," Chad pointed out, quickly ushering his friends from view to step behind the hedge of the home they'd been standing in front of while keeping an eye on Taylor and Sharpay.

The three of them waited with baited breath, hoping the arrival wasn't the owner of the villa they were now using to cover their intrusion, only to receive near heart stopping shock when a sleek red Corvette zoomed effortlessly by with none other than Angelina herself seated behind the wheel.

"Oh my God! She's here!" Troy exclaimed in stunned disbelief, as the sports car sped past them and up the last arch of the incline. "Angelina's here!"

"What the hell..." Chad panicked, instantly gazing up to where Taylor and Sharpay were still being given their tour by Robert Herve, unaware of who was heading in their direction. Adrenaline and instinct immediately took over.

"We've got to warn the girls!"

"But how? We're not even suppose to be here?" Zeke stated nervously, a nagging fear for Sharpay's safety tugging at his heart. "If we do anything to bring attention to our presence it could do more harm than good."

"Well we sure as hell can't just stand here and do nothing or did you not just see that psycho in a dress drive by?" Chad snapped, his own concern for Taylor's well being getting the best of him as well.

"Of course I did," Zeke retorted sharply. "But if we make ourselves known, especially with us being so close it can only turn out bad not only for us but your mom and Brie as well."

"At least we now know we were on the right track after all," Troy spoke up, his eyes fixated on the movement of the car, which was about to round the last corner up the final leg of the winding road and bring it and it's driver face-to-face with two more people they loved.

But before all hell could break loose should Angelina catch even a glimpse of Taylor and Sharpay in surely the last place on earth she ever thought to find them, her car made a sharp turn off the road that would have put them directly in her path and went down another driveway instead.

The guys watched, both with relief and curiosity, as the Corvette seemed to momentarily disappear behind a group of high looming trees, only to be re-spotted a few seconds later coming to a stop outside one of the more modest yet still impressive villas. The most interesting thing about this particular home was that it an even more secluded look and feel about it than all the other homes Troy, Chad and Zeke had passed so far.

Still carefully hidden behind the hedge, the three friends watched as Angelina got out of the car and reached in the backseat for a few bags, before heading to the front door and going inside.

"So that's where that bitch has been holding my mom and Brie all this time," Chad muttered angrily, his eyes filled with rage.

"And to think we never would have found them if it hadn't been for Troy hearing Brie's voice calling out to him," Zeke added, turning his attention back to the top of the hill where he saw Sharpay and Taylor being led back to Robert Herve's car. "Looks like the girls have stalled for us as long as they could."

"Huh? What?" Chad stated, breaking his concentration away from Angelina's house to focus on Taylor again.

"I said it looks like they are about to leave," Zeke repeated. "Guess that means we had better get ready to leave too."

"I'm not going anywhere until I know for certain that Gabriella is in there," Troy stated in an even tempered tone, although inside he was boiling with rage.

"Where else would they be man?" Zeke questioned curiously. "Isn't it pretty obvious given that we just saw Angelina with our own eyes?"

"Not good enough. We need absolute proof so that we don't make any mistakes in our rescue attempt," Troy replied.

And then it happened almost as if in a dream: Troy staring intently at the house taking it its every detail and committing it to memory; thought after thought racing through his mind as he tried to imagine different scenarios of how to get inside and get out and their chances of escaping unharmed when his eyes drifted to one of the upstairs windows overlooking the entire hillside and he saw her again for the first time in nearly two months.

Troy's heart nearly stopped at that sight of that beautiful face and lovely dark hair staring out sadly from her prison within and, for a moment, he thought he was going to pass out from sheer relief and happiness. Then, just as quickly as she appeared she was gone.

"Hey...bro...what's wrong?" Chad asked, noticing the odd look on his best friends face.

Troy turned to him with the happiest of smiles and sighed.

"I saw her Chad. I saw Gabriella."


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Chapter 78

After arriving back at the condo with the proof positive that both Lisa and Gabriella were indeed still alive, the group of friends immediately sat down, filled Ryan and Kelsi in on what they had missed, and then went about coming up with a plan of rescue.

Troy of course was still reeling with happiness after seeing the girl he loved from the window high on the hill, but his everything would not be complete until he and the others had found a way to free her and Mrs. Danforth from the prison in which Angelina and her father still held them captive.

Angelina.

Troy couldn't decide if it were he or Chad who wanted to kill her more. Both were so full of rage at what she had done to the ones they loved and the pain they had put so many people through by their actions that it was at times hard to think straight but they managed to keep their focus in check. Time was running out and they had to get to Lisa and Brie before their captors realized how close they were.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony had offered to take them all out to dinner in the city, but the group declined, stating that they just wanted to hang out at the condo for the night with nothing special planned. Although slightly disappointed, husband and wife left them to their own devices and, once they were gone, the discussion went right back to what they needed to do to save those they loved.

_Ten Miles Away..._

Leo DeLeon was in the kitchen preparing dinner for his daughter and their "guests" when he realized that Angelina had barely said two words to him since entering the house several hours before.

She'd gone to check on Lisa and Gabriella as a matter of course, and then had spent the rest of the afternoon standing on the living room balcony staring out across the sun-kissed horizon. There was obviously something weighing heavily on her mind, but Leo knew it was pointless to press the issue until Angelina was ready to talk. To his surprise, he didn't have long to wait to find out what it was that had consumed his daughter's private thoughts for most of that day.

Coming into the kitchen with a look of satisfaction upon her face, Angelina sat down upon a stool at the marble topped counter and stared at her father with a clever smile.

"What?" Leo asked, placing a cover on one of the simmering pots on the stove and coming over to sit beside her.

"They're here papa," Angelina replied. "They've come to settle things once and for all."

"Whose here darling?" Leo asked, his expression suddenly growing tense with concern.

"Troy and Chad. They've been down here for nearly a week trying to find a way to rescue Gabriella and Lisa."

The shock on her father's face could not be denied. He stared at her for a moment in sheer disbelief before returning to the stove roaring with laughter.

"That's good one Lina," he said, proceeding to fiddle with his pots of food again. "You almost had your old man me going there for a second."

"But I'm not joking," Angelina answered, her tone completely serious. "I've been tracking their whereabouts since they left home. They figured out that we were the ones responsible for the 'deaths' of their loved ones and have followed us down here to Mexico."

"That's impossible. How could a group of teenagers come to such a conclusion? At least before we were ready for them to know?"

"Doesn't matter," Angelina stated. "The point is that they did and now Troy, Chad and the rest of their little friends are waiting to pull off some type of rescue as if they could."

"Are their parents here with them as well?" Leo questioned, suddenly feeling as if all their plans for revenge were in great jeopardy.

"No. Lucky for us they all think they can handle this situation on their own and didn't feel the need to inform their mothers and fathers of what they were going to do."

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive," Angelina replied with certainty, having already investigated the whereabouts of each family member whom all still remained in town. "But it does mean that our plans will have to be stepped up sooner than anticipated. I have no doubt that Troy and Chad are likely going to come for the two of them very very soon."

"But...but...how do you know all of this Lina?"

His daughter reached into her pants pocket and produced a tiny transmitter which she placed on the counter before him.

"This is how I know. I had one of Quentin's friends put a tracking device in Troy's watch a while back and I've been able to monitor his every move up until now."

"So this is why you arrived down here days before expected?"

"Yes. I knew that they were already here and that we needed to be prepared for whatever it is they think they have in mind for setting Gabriella and Lisa free, fools that they are."

"Do you have their exact location?" Leo inquired.

"No. But I have their general location which is only within 15 miles or so away from us. They're probably staying at one of the resorts up the road a ways."

Leo grew quiet for a moment as he took in all that his daughter had told him, needing to grasp what was at stake for them and how the time had come to end their pain and suffering once and for all by having that which they'd worked so hard to achieve...revenge for the deaths of his beloved wife and other child.

Watching her father with loving eyes, Angelina stood up and approached him with a tender hug.

"No worries papa. You and I will see this through and when we do mom and Marissa's deaths will not have been in vain. Trust me on that."

"Then tonight it is?" Leo asked.

"Yes," Angelina replied with a nod. "Tonight it is."

_Just Past Midnight..._

Chad lay quietly in the dark, one arm behind his head the other wrapped around Taylor's sleeping body, while above their bed the ceiling fan whirled slowly relieving some of the oppressive heat that had invaded the condo from earlier in the day. He knew what was coming and he was ready for it even as he realized the extreme danger involved should that which had been planned were to suddenly go awry.

Sighing, Chad removed his hand from behind his head to tenderly caress the smoothness of Taylor's cheek when he heard the sound of the bedroom door

cautiously slide open and saw Troy standing there dressed and ready to go. He signaled to his best friend with a gesture of his head to which Chad responded with a nod before carefully removing himself from Taylor's embrace mindful of how critical it was that she not be awakened.

A few minutes later, after having slipped into his clothes and tipping out of the room with one last glance on the face of the woman he loved, Chad closed the bedroom door behind him as he and Troy quietly made their way past the other bedrooms occupied by their friends, until they were safely outside free of detection.

"You sure you're ready to do this?" Troy asked, heading to one of the rental cars parked a few feet away.

"I was born ready," Chad replied, a gleam of pure determination in his eyes. "If we're ever going to free mom and Gabriella from those two psychopaths it's now or never."

"You know the others are going to be furious with us for changing the game plans and leaving them out of the loop right?"

"I know but its better this way. The last thing we need is for anyone else to be hurt while we try to pull this thing off. Besides, I couldn't bear it if something went wrong and Taylor or someone else got caught in the crossfire."

"I agree," Troy stated, as both climbed into the car where he released the parking brake and let the vehicle slowly began to quietly coast down the driveway so as not to arouse suspicion of their departure. "They'll all be disappointed for sure, but I think it's better if it's just you and me who finish this thing once and for all."

Chad nodded without any regret at their secret pact to do so, which had been made after allowing the others to believe they too would be apart of the rescue plan.

When they reached the main road, Troy turned the engine on and the best friends drove off into the night not knowing the outcome that awaited them, but praying that when all was said and done their lives would return to normal once more.

At first, when Gabriella and Lisa had been awakened just after midnight by pairs of groping hands dragging them out of bed and ordering them both to get dressed, neither one knew what to think. Then, once they were clothed and marched downstairs and out the front door with their hands bound behind them and their mouths gagged, the two realized that something terrible was about to happen that was sure to seal their fate and bring this tragic existence of the last several months to its conclusion.

Walking behind them as both were prodded along down a narrow winding path just beyond a grove of trees which concealed a hidden stairway leading into a long cavernous tunnel that seemed endless in depth, Angelina and Leo whispered their final plans of revenge to one another in hushed tones to the very real terror of their helpless victims.

Once inside the tunnel, Angelina took the lead and produced a flashlight to further guide their way, as Lisa and Brie noted the air was thick with the scent of salt and the sound of the ocean seemed to bounce off the walls which held them in its hallowed grasp. They were being lead down the hillside in the direction of the ocean and the crashing of endless waves echoing somewhere far below. A shiver ran down the spines of both captives as they continued to walk single file toward whatever it was fate had in store for them now.

It seemed as if they had been plodding along for quite a time, when suddenly the walls of the tunnel expanded, and all found themselves standing inside a huge damp chamber whose gaping mouth was greeted by the sights and sounds of the open sea. Stepping down to the lowest point of the tunnel floor, their feet were instantly surrounded by the coolness of foamy water lapping up about their ankles with the ebb and flow of the incoming tide.

"Welcome home to your destiny ladies," Angelina stated in a sinister voice remorseless in tone, as she situated Lisa and Brie back-to-back upon a large smooth rock just big enough for two.

Leo came up beside them and pulled a large piece of rope from where it had been secured upon his belt, slowly circling their bodies with it until they were bound together unable to move from their throne of death.

"Nice work pop," his daughter congratulated with mock applause as she savored he look of sheer terror on the faces of her victims whom by now had surely figured out what was in store for them.

Lisa and Gabriella both struggled in vain against the ties that bound them, feeling both infuriated and shamed as the DeLeon's wicked laughs filled the chamber sounding gleefully insane.

"It's no use struggling ladies," Leo advised, standing back to partake of his handiwork, while Angelina slid a hand into the crook of his arm which he patted affectionately. "There is no way for you to free yourselves from what must be done so you might as well say your last prayers here and now and hope that the end is more merciful than it was for my beloved wife and daughter."

"But don't fret," Angelina added, leaving her father's side to come and smirk in the faces of those she desperately hated. "If all goes according to my plans...and frankly why should they not...you will not be taking this your final journey alone. Oh no. Something tells me that very shortly you'll be joined by others who love you dearly and believe they are coming to your rescue but who in fact are coming to share your fate as well."

Instantly, Lisa and Gabriella realized that they were talking about Troy and Chad and the terror that was already eating at them grew tenfold in finding that they had become bait to lure those they loved to their doom in this hellish paradise.

It was little past 12:30 a.m., when Chad and Troy finally arrived at the main gates of the hillside properties ready to storm the place with all their might. After pulling the car to a secluded spot off the road, they managed to slip over the front gates, which to their surprise were not protected by an electric field or some other form of security, and began making their way up the zigzagging roadway as they had the day before toward the top where the DeLeon house was situated.

Under the cloak of darkness both were able to move quicker than they had previously for fear of detection and managed to make it to the top in less than 10 minutes. Once they were standing outside the main entrance, they took a moment to try to figure out the best way to enter while not knowing if the house was under alarm but willing to take the chance if they had to of setting it off, when Troy saw that the front door was slightly ajar. Pushing it slowly open, he and Chad crept inside, preparing themselves for the unexpected.

After moving from room to room on the lower level and finding no one downstairs, the two friends assumed that Lisa, Gabriella, Angelina and her father must all be upstairs asleep. For a moment it seemed odd that the front door had been carelessly left open, but that thought only lingered for a second as neither Troy nor Chad had the time to wonder about such a coveted piece of good fortune.

Once they'd cleared the ground floor both headed for the stairway which they moved upward quietly aware of any and every sound although thus far there were none except of their own breathing. When they reached the top landing, Troy motioned for Chad to take one end of the hallway and he would take the other, hopefully one of them finding the room which held Gabriella and Lisa instead of those of Angelina and Leo. However, five minutes later, both returned to their starting point with a look of fear and frustration upon their faces.

"Did you find anything?" Troy asked in a hushed whisper.

"No," Chad replied. "Did you?"

Troy shook his head.

"Are you sure you checked every room on that side of the house?"

"Yeah I'm sure," Chad stated, his whispered tone growing a bit louder. "There was no one in any of the rooms."

"And there wasn't anyone in all the rooms I checked either," Troy conceded, no longer whispering but speaking normally. "Looks like nobody is here."

"You mean the house is completely empty?" Chad asked with a look of shocked disbelief. "How the hell is that possible? You swore that you saw Gabriella inside here yesterday and we both saw Angelina drive up with our own eyes."

"I did see her and Angelina too but I'm telling you that as of this moment none of them are around. We are the only ones here."

"But where could they be? I mean...there are cars parked out front. Where would they go if they didn't drive someplace else?" Chad wondered as an eerie feeling begin to settle over him.

"Don't have the answer to that," Troy admitted obviously frustrated. "But we've got to find out if we can and fast."

"And how do we do that Troy? We're dealing with the minds of two psychopaths here remember?"

"Of course I do. Something is going on here and it doesn't feel good. In fact...it almost feels like a set up of some kind."

"Set up? As in Angelina and her father might have figured out that we're down here?" questioned Chad nervously.

"I'm telling you man I don't know. Let's go back downstairs and see if we can't find a clue or something to tell us what the hell is going on."

Both made their way back downstairs and were about to recheck the rooms as they'd done before, when Chad caught sight of a note taped to large mirror on the side wall in the foyer. Going over, he pulled the piece of paper down, read its contents and then let it fall to the floor as all color drained from his face.

"What! What is it?" Troy exclaimed, bending down to retrieve the note from the ground and read it for himself, as Chad tried to remain steady from the feeling of horror that had suddenly left him reeling like a punch to the gut.

_Welcome ! Those whom you seek are awaiting your arrival as are we. Do not keep us waiting. Follow the path just beyond the trees and your date with destiny will finally be complete. _

_ Angelina_

"That bitch!" Troy spat, crumpling up the note and tossing it aside. "She does know we're here and worse off she's taken your mom and Brie away to lure us to God knows where. And how in the hell did she discover our plans?"

Taylor awoke with a start to find Chad's place beside her in bed empty of his presence. Searching the room in the semi-darkness she saw he was nowhere in sight so she threw back the covers with a yawn and a stretch, chiding herself for having fallen into such a deep sleep. She was only supposed to have taken a cat nap of sorts so as to be ready for what it was she and the others had to do in their planned rescue attempt of Brie and Mrs. Danforth.

Sliding off the bed, Taylor reached for her dark blue sweat suit she'd hung over a chair hours before and began to put it on when suddenly there came a frantic knock at the bedroom door.

"Taylor! Taylor! Wake-up!" Sharpay screeched, racing inside the room with a look of fear in her big blue eyes. "Chad and Troy are gone! They've left without us!"

"What!?" Taylor exclaimed. "That's impossible."

"Impossible no. True? Yes."

"But...but...we had everything planned out. How we were all suppose to be in on this thing together and watch each others' backs."

Sharpay rolled her eyes in frustration. "Well apparently the dynamic duo decided to go all macho on us and handle things by themselves. I should have known they were up to something when they kept telling us all to go to bed and get some rest before we left. Who the hell do you know takes a damn nap right before a covert operation?"

Taylor looked at her friend with the same level of annoyance she was obviously feeling and gave a loud sigh.

"Well...what's done is done. They're already gone and we certainly have no way of stopping them do we? Are the others aware of what's happened?"

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah. They're out in the living room dressed and ready to go. We can thank Kelsi for sounding the alarm. She's the one who noticed they were gone when she went to wake up Troy and found him missing."

"I can't believe they'd do this to us. After all the plans we made."

"Well believe it. I'm really starting to have a bad feeling about this whole thing and the sooner we all get out of here after those two the better," Sharpay stated.

"How long ago do you think they've been gone?" Taylor wondered, now too starting to worry that maybe things were starting to get dangerously out of hand.

"Probably not that long. A half an hour or so. It doesn't matter though because we are out of here as of now," Sharpay replied, grabbing her friend by the hand and pulling her from the bedroom. "There is no way and hell Troy and Chad can get this done without us. Come on."

It only took a short time for Chad and Troy to discover the hidden staircase and underground tunnel beyond the grove of trees as clued to them by Angelina's note.

Lucky to find a flashlight in the trunk of the rental car, they made their way into the hollow darkness under a cloud of apprehension, neither one sure of what exactly they were walking into but both fairly certain it was a trap of some kind with Lisa and Gabriella being used as bait.

Still trying to figure out how their presence in Mexico had been discovered, Troy and Chad slowly made their way deeper and deeper into the bowels of the hillside, noting the heavy smell of salt that hung in the air and the distant sound of crashing waves that told them they were obviously heading down toward the ocean far below.

"You don't think they've done anything to hurt mom and Brie do you?" Chad whispered from behind Troy's back, the knot in his stomach growing tighter by the minute.

"No," Troy stated, convinced that their loved ones were still alive although time on that front might be running out. "If they were, there would have been no reason to leave a note."

Chad nodded his agreement at the explanation, as the sound of the crashing water began to sound closer with each step they took.

Several minutes passed as the two of them trudged onward, their adrenaline racing as they tried to prepare themselves for what they would find at the end of the tunnel.

"Can't you drive any faster Ryan?" Sharpay snapped from the backseat of the car, as her brother maneuvered the unfamiliar road in the early morning darkness. "We're running out of time I can feel it."

"Get a grip Shar," Ryan chastised, glancing at her reflection in the rearview mirror. "It won't do anyone any good if we get into an accident before we get to our destination."

"Leave him alone Sharpay," warned Kelsi from the passenger seat in front. "We'll be at the property in a few minutes. Just try to remain calm okay. This is so not the time for anyone to start getting hysterical. Only cool heads will prevail."

"She's right babe," Zeke agreed, seated between his girlfriend and Taylor, who was worried out of her mind about Chad.

"Oh shut up the both of you," Sharpay snarled, fear gripping every muscle in her body. "I'll get calm once this entire freaking nightmare is over and all of us are back home again safe and sound."

"Would everyone just chill," Ryan implored, eyes searching for the location they were desperate to find.

A few minutes later he spotted the sign post indicating that the La Una Bella resort was just up ahead.

"See...we're almost there. Just a little ways more and we'll be..."

But Ryan was unable to finish his sentence, as an animal of some kind darted across the road out of nowhere and the car suddenly made a sharp swerve to avoid hitting it and veered off into some trees as he and the others screamed in terror...

"I think we're getting close," Troy informed Chad over his shoulder, as he began feel a greater rush of wind coming at them from within the confines of the tunnel. "I see what looks like a bigger opening to this hole forming just ahead."

Chad tried to see for himself but his view was blocked by his friend's body so he continued to follow along taking Troy at his word.

Sure enough, a few moments later, the tunnel began to expand into a wider entrance.

"This is it," Troy said in an anxious voice, as he stepped onto a rocky ledge that looked down into almost a pit-like space that revealed the mouth of a cave facing the ocean whose waves were lapping in with the tide at a rapidly steady pace.

And there right before his and Chad's eyes, tied together back-to-back while seated on a large stone rock were Lisa and Gabriella. Troy's heart nearly stopped at the sight of the girl he loved as did Chad's at the sight of the mother he had thought was lost to him and the rest of his family forever. For a moment they were speechless that all their worst fears and greatest dreams were coming true all at the same time.

Then the next instinct to follow was for both to jump down into the semi-darkened pit with only the moonlight to see by and rush to the helpless victims staring up at them with love and terror shinning in their eyes, but that instinct was halted in its tracks by the sound of Angelina's voice from behind them.

"Well, well, if it isn't the two reigning basketball heroes of East High come at long last to finally rescue the damsels in distress. What took you so long boys?"

Troy and Chad turned together to find Angelina and Leo standing a few feet away wearing satisfied smirks upon their faces that looked even more evil staring out at them from their shadowy place of hiding, a gun held tightly in Angelina's hand pointing purposely in their direction.

"Nice to see you again," Leo DeLeon stated, his eyes and expression cold and unremorseful. "So glad you fellas could join our little party. It just would not have been the same without you."

"No it would not," Angelina stated with a sinister smile. "How could we possibly let Gabriella and Lisa have all the fun with no one else to share it with."

"Let my mother and Gabriella go!" Chad shouted, the rage seething through him close to unbearable. "You have to know you can't get away with this."

Father and daughter both laughed in his face.

"Oh spare me Chad. We'll get away with this just as we have with everything else that has taken place since that fateful night of your big birthday bash all those months ago," Angelina taunted. "It's been quite amusing watching you, Troy, your family, and friends walk around town filled with grief and heartache believing that your precious mother and friend had been taken away from you all too soon. Now you know what it's been like for my father and I ever since you helped to put my mother and sister in their graves. Did you really believe you weren't going to have to pay for what you did? You and your beloved Taylor? A spoiled little bitch that stood in the way of my sister's happiness which was wrapped up in you?"

"This is not Taylor's fault Angelina and you know it," Chad angrily replied, for the moment unconcerned about the serious danger he and Troy now found themselves in. "Your sister and mother were both insane because they couldn't except that what Marissa and I had was over and had been for a long time. No one else is to blame for what happened to them but themselves."

"Why you little bastard!" Leo raged, on the verge of lunging at Chad, but who was stopped by his daughter's hand to his chest.

"No daddy don't. Chad's speaking as only a soon to be dead man would, who knows that his lies and refusal to take responsibility for his crimes has finally caught up with him and that it now is time to pay."

"So if this is about Chad, then why drag his mother and Gabriella into it?" Troy asked defiantly. "What has either one ever done to you or your family? Mrs. Danforth was your mother's best friend and from what I've heard had always treated you like a daughter. And Brie...well she's only here because you've decided that you needed to take revenge against me for rejecting you."

Again Angelina laughed in cold and evil manner.

"Get over yourself Troy Bolton," she advised smugly. "If I had truly wanted you I would have had you long before now or did you think I'd forgotten how you used to follow me around like a lovesick puppy when we were in school together? No...you were just an added bonus to my plans. It also didn't hurt that you were Troy's best friend who, like all his other friends and that bitch Taylor, stood against my sister until she was driven to acts of desperation. And of course we can't forget how your interference helped to put in my beloved cousin Julian in jail."

"Julian's in jail because he tried to murder innocent people, along with your mother and sister," Troy snapped with venomous contempt, his eyes darting to the gun still pointing in his and Chad's direction.

In the pit below where water continued to steadily stream inside the cave, he could hear the muffled sounds of terror coming from Gabriella and Lisa who were watching this exchange between he, Chad, and the DeLeons in disbelieving horror.

"Look Angelina...Mr. DeLeon...I know you won't believe this but I truly am sorry for what happened to Marissa and Mrs. DeLeon. The last thing I would have ever wanted or expected was for either one to end up dead, especially over a teenage crush. But they are gone now and nothing is going to bring them back. Certainly not harming the four of us. I may not always be considered the brightest bulb in the box, but this I know to be true. Why don't you just let my mom, Gabriella and Troy go and, if you still feel you need to have your revenge, then let it be against me and me alone."

Although his mother was unable to utter a word with her mouth bandaged over, Chad was almost certain he could hear her from below him attempting to scream at the top of her lungs. Angelina just shook her head with mild disdain, that sinister grin plastered upon her face like a mask.

"Chad. Chad. Chad," she singsonged, the gun in her hand unwavering in its position only inches from his chest. "Cut the bull sweetie. Your martyr act isn't going to fly and it certainly isn't going to save you, Troy, Gabriella or your mother from the destiny we have planned for you all. My father and I will have our revenge tonight on that you can be sure. All debts will be paid in full and my family can at last find some peace for all that we've lost. The only thing I regret is that you two morons thought you were men enough to pull of this lame little rescue on your own without the help of Taylor and the rest of your friends whom I'm well aware are down here in Mexico with you. But...no worries. Once we've had our little party here, I plan on paying a visit to the others and see that they too get what is coming to them as well."

Chad was about to utter another protest, hoping to keep buying the precious time he and Troy needed to figure out how to get the gun away from Angelina and stop she and Leo before they were allowed to carry out their plans, but he was suddenly taken by surprise when the auburn haired beauty took a step closer to Troy, leaned in to kiss his lips which he tried desperately to avoid, and then hit him in the side of the head causing him to slowly slump to the ground unconscious.

"Troy! No!" Chad screamed, as he watched his best friend fall motionless at his feet.

"Are we sure everyone is okay?" Kelsi asked, following behind Ryan, Sharpay, Taylor and Zeke as they managed to get free of the car that was now caught up in a mangle of tree branches.

"Yes Kel. No one seems to be hurt," Taylor replied, although she could feel the start of a lump on her forehead from where it had hit the driver's seat upon impact. "The important thing now is that we get up to that house as quickly as possible to make sure Troy, Chad, Brie and Mrs. Danforth are still alright."

The others agreed with her advice and, after double checking again that no one was seriously hurt, made their way the last hundred yards down the road where they came upon the gates leading into the private hillside community and the empty rental car that their friends had taken.

"How are we suppose to get inside?" Ryan questioned, holding tightly onto Kelsi's hand as his eyes scanned upward at the darkened homes above them. "Are we gonna have to climb over the fence?"

"That's probably what Chad and Troy did since neither one had a key to get them inside," Zeke reasonably concluded.

"But unlike Chad and Troy we do have a key," Sharpay stated, rubbing her left arm, which held a few bloody scratches after climbing out of the car and over broken tree branches.

"We do?" the group asked in surprised.

"Of course we do. Did you not think I would make myself useful when Taylor and I were up here yesterday with Robert?"

"You mean you stole his key to the front gate Shar?" Taylor asked completely impressed. "But how?"

"Never mind how. The point is that we won't have to climb over the gates but rather walk inside like civilized people."

"Babe I could kiss you right about now!" Zeke exclaimed, taking his girlfriend in his arms and giving her a hug.

"Save all that for later," Sharpay stated brushing him off her. "Right now we need to do just like Taylor said and get up to that house and help our friends. I'm really starting to get the feeling that they could be in some serious danger by now."

And without another word, Sharpay unlocked the gate and she and her friends scurried inside.

Ten minutes later and nearly out of breath, they all finally arrived at the DeLeon house frantic to find out what had happened to the people they loved. Their concern that something terrible had happened mounted further, when they found the front door standing wide open with no one in sight. They cautiously went inside and began going from room to room just as Troy and Chad had nearly and hour before. When they realized no one was there pure panic began to set in.

"What could have happened to them? Where could they be?" Taylor demanded, her nerves raw with fear, once they were all standing in the foyer again trying to figure what to do next.

"I just don't get how they could all be gone without a trace," Ryan stated with a sigh. "I mean there are two cars parked right outside which tells us that they didn't drive anywhere, especially since we already saw the car Troy and Chad drove to get here.

"Then that means they still have to be somewhere around here then," Kelsi deduced. "A house full of people don't just vanish into thin air."

"They didn't," Zeke replied from where he stood a few feet away, holding a ragged piece of paper in his hand. "Look what I found over in the corner. It's a note from Angelina. She knew we were coming here tonight and she invited us to meet her at a place beyond that grove of trees over to the side of the house."

"Let me see that," Sharpay commanded, snatching the note from her boyfriend's hand.

"Sounds to me like Angelina and her father set a trap for our boys," Zeke continued, not the least bit put off by his girl's bossy behavior.

"Yes it does," Sharpay agreed, letting the tattered paper slip from her fingers.

"Then what are we standing around here for? We need to move our asses and see what's on the other side of that grove," Taylor shouted, racing for the front door. "Our family needs us!"

The others quickly followed her lead without hesitation and had just stepped back outside under the silvery glow of the moonlit sky, when they suddenly heard voices and the sound of footsteps approaching. Thinking fast on their feet, the group of friends scurried behind a hedge on the side of the house and managed to pull themselves from sight, just as Angelina and Leo emerged from a tiny dirt path leading into a cluster of trees. Everyone held their breath and tried to remain as still as possible, as father and daughter came to a stop in front of one of the cars in clear view of where they were hiding.

"We did it daddy. We finally paid back for what happened to mommy and Marissa," Angelina could be heard gloating with pride. "Now they will both truly be able to rest in peace."

"That's right darling. We can now rest easy knowing that our enemies have paid for their crimes and can't hurt anymore innocent people or tear apart the lives of another family ever again," Leo replied, his voice filled with a calm happiness. "I wasn't sure we could pull this off but we have and now it's time to move on."

From behind the hedge, shivering in terror, Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi could feel the first of anguished tears sliding down their faces. _Did this mean that they were too late? Had the DeLeons actually won? Were Chad, Troy, Gabriella and Mrs. D already lost to them forever?_

"Yes, moving on sounds like a plan daddy dear but we still have some unfinished business to attend to before we are truly done with our mission."

Ten pairs of ears suddenly perked up even more to listen closely to the rest of the DeLeon's evil plans of revenge.

"We still have to deal with the rest of the teeny bopper gang who are no doubt at this very moment, probably sitting in their condo wondering what happened to Troy and Chad and why they got left out of the big plan of rescue," Angelina continued smugly. "Once they've been dealt with then we can leave all of this behind us and start a new life the way mother and Marissa would want us to."

"Then you know where they are exactly?" Leo asked curiously, never ceasing to be amazed at his oldest child's unsurpassed cleverness.

"No...not exactly. But it won't take much to find that out. And while we're finishing up our task of taking out the trash, it will be a wonderful comfort to know at the very same time, Troy, Chad, Lisa and Gabriella will be taking their final breaths of life when that cave finally fills to its full capacity and sends them all to a watery grave."

Taylor clutched Sharpay's arm tightly and looked into her eyes with renewed hope that all was not lost as she mouthed their words..._"They aren't dead yet."_

The conversation between father and daughter continued.

"Then you want to do it now and get it over with?" Leo was asking Angelina, eager for her reply.

"But of course. No time like the present. Besides, if we go over there now and take care of things, we can be back here before dawn to pack up our clothes and get to the airport for an early morning flight out of town."

"Works for me. Want to take my car or yours?"

"Lets take yours," Angelina suggested, reaching for the passenger side door.

Leo nodded in agreement as he went to climb behind the wheel and then stopped in his tracks to look around suspiciously.

"What is it daddy? You look like something is wrong."

Her father continued to look about with an odd expression on his face and, for a moment, his eyes came to rest on the very hedge where Taylor and friends were doing their best to remain as still as possible. In those few fearful seconds that they were on the verge of being discovered, none of them dared to even breathe.

"Daddy? What?" Angelina asked, her voice taking on a tone of annoyance as she threw her hands up in the air.

Her father suddenly snapped out of his temporary fog and smiled.

"Sorry honey. I was just trying to remember where I left my car keys in the house is all. I'll go get them and be right out."

"Well hurry up," Angelina snapped irritably. "I'm so looking forward to another face-to-face meeting with that little Miss Full of Sass Taylor McKessie I can hardly stand it. Taking her down once and for all is going to be almost as much fun as it was tying up her boyfriend, his mother and those other two, Troy and Gabriella."

At the sound of her name, and upon realizing that her beloved Chad wasn't gone for good, Taylor's sadness and fear turned into blinding rage and it was all Zeke and Sharpay could do to keep her pinned behind the hedge to prevent her from rushing out and tackling Angelina to the ground as she beat her face to a pulp.

However, a few seconds later, Leo DeLeon emerged from the house whistling a tune under his breath and jangling a set of car keys in his hand. Closing the front door behind him, he smiled at his daughter and motioned for her to get into the car which she gladly did. Then the two of them drove off in the direction of the main gate to the property below, their undetected visitors finally able to breathe a sigh of relief once again.

Peeking out his head from their hiding space to truly make sure father and daughter were gone, Ryan indicated to the others that the coast was clear. The minute they were out in the open again, the group of friends didn't waste a single moment as they raced toward the grove of trees praying that they weren't to late to stop another tragic event from shattering their lives once more.


	79. Chapter 79

Chapter 78

Chapter 79

After arriving back at the condo with the proof positive that both Lisa and Gabriella were indeed still alive, the group of friends immediately sat down, filled Ryan and Kelsi in on what they had missed, and then went about coming up with a plan of rescue.

Troy of course was still reeling with happiness after seeing the girl he loved from the window high on the hill, but his everything would not be complete until he and the others had found a way to free her and Mrs. Danforth from the prison in which Angelina and her father still held them captive.

Angelina.

Troy couldn't decide if it were he or Chad who wanted to kill her more. Both were so full of rage at what she had done to the ones they loved and the pain they had put so many people through by their actions that it was at times hard to think straight but they managed to keep their focus in check. Time was running out and they had to get to Lisa and Brie before their captors realized how close they were.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony had offered to take them all out to dinner in the city, but the group declined, stating that they just wanted to hang out at the condo for the night with nothing special planned. Although slightly disappointed, husband and wife left them to their own devices and, once they were gone, the discussion went right back to what they needed to do to save those they loved.

_Ten Miles Away..._

Leo DeLeon was in the kitchen preparing dinner for his daughter and their "guests" when he realized that Angelina had barely said two words to him since entering the house several hours before.

She'd gone to check on Lisa and Gabriella as a matter of course, and then had spent the rest of the afternoon standing on the living room balcony staring out across the sun-kissed horizon. There was obviously something weighing heavily on her mind, but Leo knew it was pointless to press the issue until Angelina was ready to talk. To his surprise, he didn't have long to wait to find out what it was that had consumed his daughter's private thoughts for most of that day.

Coming into the kitchen with a look of satisfaction upon her face, Angelina sat down upon a stool at the marble topped counter and stared at her father with a clever smile.

"What?" Leo asked, placing a cover on one of the simmering pots on the stove and coming over to sit beside her.

"They're here papa," Angelina replied. "They've come to settle things once and for all."

"Whose here darling?" Leo asked, his expression suddenly growing tense with concern.

"Troy and Chad. They've been down here for nearly a week trying to find a way to rescue Gabriella and Lisa."

The shock on her father's face could not be denied. He stared at her for a moment in sheer disbelief before returning to the stove roaring with laughter.

"That's good one Lina," he said, proceeding to fiddle with his pots of food again. "You almost had your old man me going there for a second."

"But I'm not joking," Angelina answered, her tone completely serious. "I've been tracking their whereabouts since they left home. They figured out that we were the ones responsible for the 'deaths' of their loved ones and have followed us down here to Mexico."

"That's impossible. How could a group of teenagers come to such a conclusion? At least before we were ready for them to know?"

"Doesn't matter," Angelina stated. "The point is that they did and now Troy, Chad and the rest of their little friends are waiting to pull off some type of rescue as if they could."

"Are their parents here with them as well?" Leo questioned, suddenly feeling as if all their plans for revenge were in great jeopardy.

"No. Lucky for us they all think they can handle this situation on their own and didn't feel the need to inform their mothers and fathers of what they were going to do."

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive," Angelina replied with certainty, having already investigated the whereabouts of each family member whom all still remained in town. "But it does mean that our plans will have to be stepped up sooner than anticipated. I have no doubt that Troy and Chad are likely going to come for the two of them very very soon."

"But...but...how do you know all of this Lina?"

His daughter reached into her pants pocket and produced a tiny transmitter which she placed on the counter before him.

"This is how I know. I had one of Quentin's friends put a tracking device in Troy's watch a while back and I've been able to monitor his every move up until now."

"So this is why you arrived down here days before expected?"

"Yes. I knew that they were already here and that we needed to be prepared for whatever it is they think they have in mind for setting Gabriella and Lisa free, fools that they are."

"Do you have their exact location?" Leo inquired.

"No. But I have their general location which is only within 15 miles or so away from us. They're probably staying at one of the resorts up the road a ways."

Leo grew quiet for a moment as he took in all that his daughter had told him, needing to grasp what was at stake for them and how the time had come to end their pain and suffering once and for all by having that which they'd worked so hard to achieve...revenge for the deaths of his beloved wife and other child.

Watching her father with loving eyes, Angelina stood up and approached him with a tender hug.

"No worries papa. You and I will see this through and when we do mom and Marissa's deaths will not have been in vain. Trust me on that."

"Then tonight it is?" Leo asked.

"Yes," Angelina replied with a nod. "Tonight it is."

_Just Past Midnight..._

Chad lay quietly in the dark, one arm behind his head the other wrapped around Taylor's sleeping body, while above their bed the ceiling fan whirled slowly relieving some of the oppressive heat that had invaded the condo from earlier in the day. He knew what was coming and he was ready for it even as he realized the extreme danger involved should that which had been planned were to suddenly go awry.

Sighing, Chad removed his hand from behind his head to tenderly caress the smoothness of Taylor's cheek when he heard the sound of the bedroom door

cautiously slide open and saw Troy standing there dressed and ready to go. He signaled to his best friend with a gesture of his head to which Chad responded with a nod before carefully removing himself from Taylor's embrace mindful of how critical it was that she not be awakened.

A few minutes later, after having slipped into his clothes and tipping out of the room with one last glance on the face of the woman he loved, Chad closed the bedroom door behind him as he and Troy quietly made their way past the other bedrooms occupied by their friends, until they were safely outside free of detection.

"You sure you're ready to do this?" Troy asked, heading to one of the rental cars parked a few feet away.

"I was born ready," Chad replied, a gleam of pure determination in his eyes. "If we're ever going to free mom and Gabriella from those two psychopaths it's now or never."

"You know the others are going to be furious with us for changing the game plans and leaving them out of the loop right?"

"I know but its better this way. The last thing we need is for anyone else to be hurt while we try to pull this thing off. Besides, I couldn't bear it if something went wrong and Taylor or someone else got caught in the crossfire."

"I agree," Troy stated, as both climbed into the car where he released the parking brake and let the vehicle slowly began to quietly coast down the driveway so as not to arouse suspicion of their departure. "They'll all be disappointed for sure, but I think it's better if it's just you and me who finish this thing once and for all."

Chad nodded without any regret at their secret pact to do so, which had been made after allowing the others to believe they too would be apart of the rescue plan.

When they reached the main road, Troy turned the engine on and the best friends drove off into the night not knowing the outcome that awaited them, but praying that when all was said and done their lives would return to normal once more.

At first, when Gabriella and Lisa had been awakened just after midnight by pairs of groping hands dragging them out of bed and ordering them both to get dressed, neither one knew what to think. Then, once they were clothed and marched downstairs and out the front door with their hands bound behind them and their mouths gagged, the two realized that something terrible was about to happen that was sure to seal their fate and bring this tragic existence of the last several months to its conclusion.

Walking behind them as both were prodded along down a narrow winding path just beyond a grove of trees which concealed a hidden stairway leading into a long cavernous tunnel that seemed endless in depth, Angelina and Leo whispered their final plans of revenge to one another in hushed tones to the very real terror of their helpless victims.

Once inside the tunnel, Angelina took the lead and produced a flashlight to further guide their way, as Lisa and Brie noted the air was thick with the scent of salt and the sound of the ocean seemed to bounce off the walls which held them in its hallowed grasp. They were being lead down the hillside in the direction of the ocean and the crashing of endless waves echoing somewhere far below. A shiver ran down the spines of both captives as they continued to walk single file toward whatever it was fate had in store for them now.

It seemed as if they had been plodding along for quite a time, when suddenly the walls of the tunnel expanded, and all found themselves standing inside a huge damp chamber whose gaping mouth was greeted by the sights and sounds of the open sea. Stepping down to the lowest point of the tunnel floor, their feet were instantly surrounded by the coolness of foamy water lapping up about their ankles with the ebb and flow of the incoming tide.

"Welcome home to your destiny ladies," Angelina stated in a sinister voice remorseless in tone, as she situated Lisa and Brie back-to-back upon a large smooth rock just big enough for two.

Leo came up beside them and pulled a large piece of rope from where it had been secured upon his belt, slowly circling their bodies with it until they were bound together unable to move from their throne of death.

"Nice work pop," his daughter congratulated with mock applause as she savored he look of sheer terror on the faces of her victims whom by now had surely figured out what was in store for them.

Lisa and Gabriella both struggled in vain against the ties that bound them, feeling both infuriated and shamed as the DeLeon's wicked laughs filled the chamber sounding gleefully insane.

"It's no use struggling ladies," Leo advised, standing back to partake of his handiwork, while Angelina slid a hand into the crook of his arm which he patted affectionately. "There is no way for you to free yourselves from what must be done so you might as well say your last prayers here and now and hope that the end is more merciful than it was for my beloved wife and daughter."

"But don't fret," Angelina added, leaving her father's side to come and smirk in the faces of those she desperately hated. "If all goes according to my plans...and frankly why should they not...you will not be taking this your final journey alone. Oh no. Something tells me that very shortly you'll be joined by others who love you dearly and believe they are coming to your rescue but who in fact are coming to share your fate as well."

Instantly, Lisa and Gabriella realized that they were talking about Troy and Chad and the terror that was already eating at them grew tenfold in finding that they had become bait to lure those they loved to their doom in this hellish paradise.

It was little past 12:30 a.m., when Chad and Troy finally arrived at the main gates of the hillside properties ready to storm the place with all their might. After pulling the car to a secluded spot off the road, they managed to slip over the front gates, which to their surprise were not protected by an electric field or some other form of security, and began making their way up the zigzagging roadway as they had the day before toward the top where the DeLeon house was situated.

Under the cloak of darkness both were able to move quicker than they had previously for fear of detection and managed to make it to the top in less than 10 minutes. Once they were standing outside the main entrance, they took a moment to try to figure out the best way to enter while not knowing if the house was under alarm but willing to take the chance if they had to of setting it off, when Troy saw that the front door was slightly ajar. Pushing it slowly open, he and Chad crept inside, preparing themselves for the unexpected.

After moving from room to room on the lower level and finding no one downstairs, the two friends assumed that Lisa, Gabriella, Angelina and her father must all be upstairs asleep. For a moment it seemed odd that the front door had been carelessly left open, but that thought only lingered for a second as neither Troy nor Chad had the time to wonder about such a coveted piece of good fortune.

Once they'd cleared the ground floor both headed for the stairway which they moved upward quietly aware of any and every sound although thus far there were none except of their own breathing. When they reached the top landing, Troy motioned for Chad to take one end of the hallway and he would take the other, hopefully one of them finding the room which held Gabriella and Lisa instead of those of Angelina and Leo. However, five minutes later, both returned to their starting point with a look of fear and frustration upon their faces.

"Did you find anything?" Troy asked in a hushed whisper.

"No," Chad replied. "Did you?"

Troy shook his head.

"Are you sure you checked every room on that side of the house?"

"Yeah I'm sure," Chad stated, his whispered tone growing a bit louder. "There was no one in any of the rooms."

"And there wasn't anyone in all the rooms I checked either," Troy conceded, no longer whispering but speaking normally. "Looks like nobody is here."

"You mean the house is completely empty?" Chad asked with a look of shocked disbelief. "How the hell is that possible? You swore that you saw Gabriella inside here yesterday and we both saw Angelina drive up with our own eyes."

"I did see her and Angelina too but I'm telling you that as of this moment none of them are around. We are the only ones here."

"But where could they be? I mean...there are cars parked out front. Where would they go if they didn't drive someplace else?" Chad wondered as an eerie feeling begin to settle over him.

"Don't have the answer to that," Troy admitted obviously frustrated. "But we've got to find out if we can and fast."

"And how do we do that Troy? We're dealing with the minds of two psychopaths here remember?"

"Of course I do. Something is going on here and it doesn't feel good. In fact...it almost feels like a set up of some kind."

"Set up? As in Angelina and her father might have figured out that we're down here?" questioned Chad nervously.

"I'm telling you man I don't know. Let's go back downstairs and see if we can't find a clue or something to tell us what the hell is going on."

Both made their way back downstairs and were about to recheck the rooms as they'd done before, when Chad caught sight of a note taped to large mirror on the side wall in the foyer. Going over, he pulled the piece of paper down, read its contents and then let it fall to the floor as all color drained from his face.

"What! What is it?" Troy exclaimed, bending down to retrieve the note from the ground and read it for himself, as Chad tried to remain steady from the feeling of horror that had suddenly left him reeling like a punch to the gut.

_Welcome ! Those whom you seek are awaiting your arrival as are we. Do not keep us waiting. Follow the path just beyond the trees and your date with destiny will finally be complete. _

_ Angelina_

"That bitch!" Troy spat, crumpling up the note and tossing it aside. "She does know we're here and worse off she's taken your mom and Brie away to lure us to God knows where. And how in the hell did she discover our plans?"

Taylor awoke with a start to find Chad's place beside her in bed empty of his presence. Searching the room in the semi-darkness she saw he was nowhere in sight so she threw back the covers with a yawn and a stretch, chiding herself for having fallen into such a deep sleep. She was only supposed to have taken a cat nap of sorts so as to be ready for what it was she and the others had to do in their planned rescue attempt of Brie and Mrs. Danforth.

Sliding off the bed, Taylor reached for her dark blue sweat suit she'd hung over a chair hours before and began to put it on when suddenly there came a frantic knock at the bedroom door.

"Taylor! Taylor! Wake-up!" Sharpay screeched, racing inside the room with a look of fear in her big blue eyes. "Chad and Troy are gone! They've left without us!"

"What!?" Taylor exclaimed. "That's impossible."

"Impossible no. True? Yes."

"But...but...we had everything planned out. How we were all suppose to be in on this thing together and watch each others' backs."

Sharpay rolled her eyes in frustration. "Well apparently the dynamic duo decided to go all macho on us and handle things by themselves. I should have known they were up to something when they kept telling us all to go to bed and get some rest before we left. Who the hell do you know takes a damn nap right before a covert operation?"

Taylor looked at her friend with the same level of annoyance she was obviously feeling and gave a loud sigh.

"Well...what's done is done. They're already gone and we certainly have no way of stopping them do we? Are the others aware of what's happened?"

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah. They're out in the living room dressed and ready to go. We can thank Kelsi for sounding the alarm. She's the one who noticed they were gone when she went to wake up Troy and found him missing."

"I can't believe they'd do this to us. After all the plans we made."

"Well believe it. I'm really starting to have a bad feeling about this whole thing and the sooner we all get out of here after those two the better," Sharpay stated.

"How long ago do you think they've been gone?" Taylor wondered, now too starting to worry that maybe things were starting to get dangerously out of hand.

"Probably not that long. A half an hour or so. It doesn't matter though because we are out of here as of now," Sharpay replied, grabbing her friend by the hand and pulling her from the bedroom. "There is no way and hell Troy and Chad can get this done without us. Come on."

It only took a short time for Chad and Troy to discover the hidden staircase and underground tunnel beyond the grove of trees as clued to them by Angelina's note.

Lucky to find a flashlight in the trunk of the rental car, they made their way into the hollow darkness under a cloud of apprehension, neither one sure of what exactly they were walking into but both fairly certain it was a trap of some kind with Lisa and Gabriella being used as bait.

Still trying to figure out how their presence in Mexico had been discovered, Troy and Chad slowly made their way deeper and deeper into the bowels of the hillside, noting the heavy smell of salt that hung in the air and the distant sound of crashing waves that told them they were obviously heading down toward the ocean far below.

"You don't think they've done anything to hurt mom and Brie do you?" Chad whispered from behind Troy's back, the knot in his stomach growing tighter by the minute.

"No," Troy stated, convinced that their loved ones were still alive although time on that front might be running out. "If they were, there would have been no reason to leave a note."

Chad nodded his agreement at the explanation, as the sound of the crashing water began to sound closer with each step they took.

Several minutes passed as the two of them trudged onward, their adrenaline racing as they tried to prepare themselves for what they would find at the end of the tunnel.

"Can't you drive any faster Ryan?" Sharpay snapped from the backseat of the car, as her brother maneuvered the unfamiliar road in the early morning darkness. "We're running out of time I can feel it."

"Get a grip Shar," Ryan chastised, glancing at her reflection in the rearview mirror. "It won't do anyone any good if we get into an accident before we get to our destination."

"Leave him alone Sharpay," warned Kelsi from the passenger seat in front. "We'll be at the property in a few minutes. Just try to remain calm okay. This is so not the time for anyone to start getting hysterical. Only cool heads will prevail."

"She's right babe," Zeke agreed, seated between his girlfriend and Taylor, who was worried out of her mind about Chad.

"Oh shut up the both of you," Sharpay snarled, fear gripping every muscle in her body. "I'll get calm once this entire freaking nightmare is over and all of us are back home again safe and sound."

"Would everyone just chill," Ryan implored, eyes searching for the location they were desperate to find.

A few minutes later he spotted the sign post indicating that the La Una Bella resort was just up ahead.

"See...we're almost there. Just a little ways more and we'll be..."

But Ryan was unable to finish his sentence, as an animal of some kind darted across the road out of nowhere and the car suddenly made a sharp swerve to avoid hitting it and veered off into some trees as he and the others screamed in terror...

"I think we're getting close," Troy informed Chad over his shoulder, as he began feel a greater rush of wind coming at them from within the confines of the tunnel. "I see what looks like a bigger opening to this hole forming just ahead."

Chad tried to see for himself but his view was blocked by his friend's body so he continued to follow along taking Troy at his word.

Sure enough, a few moments later, the tunnel began to expand into a wider entrance.

"This is it," Troy said in an anxious voice, as he stepped onto a rocky ledge that looked down into almost a pit-like space that revealed the mouth of a cave facing the ocean whose waves were lapping in with the tide at a rapidly steady pace.

And there right before his and Chad's eyes, tied together back-to-back while seated on a large stone rock were Lisa and Gabriella. Troy's heart nearly stopped at the sight of the girl he loved as did Chad's at the sight of the mother he had thought was lost to him and the rest of his family forever. For a moment they were speechless that all their worst fears and greatest dreams were coming true all at the same time.

Then the next instinct to follow was for both to jump down into the semi-darkened pit with only the moonlight to see by and rush to the helpless victims staring up at them with love and terror shinning in their eyes, but that instinct was halted in its tracks by the sound of Angelina's voice from behind them.

"Well, well, if it isn't the two reigning basketball heroes of East High come at long last to finally rescue the damsels in distress. What took you so long boys?"

Troy and Chad turned together to find Angelina and Leo standing a few feet away wearing satisfied smirks upon their faces that looked even more evil staring out at them from their shadowy place of hiding, a gun held tightly in Angelina's hand pointing purposely in their direction.

"Nice to see you again," Leo DeLeon stated, his eyes and expression cold and unremorseful. "So glad you fellas could join our little party. It just would not have been the same without you."

"No it would not," Angelina stated with a sinister smile. "How could we possibly let Gabriella and Lisa have all the fun with no one else to share it with."

"Let my mother and Gabriella go!" Chad shouted, the rage seething through him close to unbearable. "You have to know you can't get away with this."

Father and daughter both laughed in his face.

"Oh spare me Chad. We'll get away with this just as we have with everything else that has taken place since that fateful night of your big birthday bash all those months ago," Angelina taunted. "It's been quite amusing watching you, Troy, your family, and friends walk around town filled with grief and heartache believing that your precious mother and friend had been taken away from you all too soon. Now you know what it's been like for my father and I ever since you helped to put my mother and sister in their graves. Did you really believe you weren't going to have to pay for what you did? You and your beloved Taylor? A spoiled little bitch that stood in the way of my sister's happiness which was wrapped up in you?"

"This is not Taylor's fault Angelina and you know it," Chad angrily replied, for the moment unconcerned about the serious danger he and Troy now found themselves in. "Your sister and mother were both insane because they couldn't except that what Marissa and I had was over and had been for a long time. No one else is to blame for what happened to them but themselves."

"Why you little bastard!" Leo raged, on the verge of lunging at Chad, but who was stopped by his daughter's hand to his chest.

"No daddy don't. Chad's speaking as only a soon to be dead man would, who knows that his lies and refusal to take responsibility for his crimes has finally caught up with him and that it now is time to pay."

"So if this is about Chad, then why drag his mother and Gabriella into it?" Troy asked defiantly. "What has either one ever done to you or your family? Mrs. Danforth was your mother's best friend and from what I've heard had always treated you like a daughter. And Brie...well she's only here because you've decided that you needed to take revenge against me for rejecting you."

Again Angelina laughed in cold and evil manner.

"Get over yourself Troy Bolton," she advised smugly. "If I had truly wanted you I would have had you long before now or did you think I'd forgotten how you used to follow me around like a lovesick puppy when we were in school together? No...you were just an added bonus to my plans. It also didn't hurt that you were Troy's best friend who, like all his other friends and that bitch Taylor, stood against my sister until she was driven to acts of desperation. And of course we can't forget how your interference helped to put in my beloved cousin Julian in jail."

"Julian's in jail because he tried to murder innocent people, along with your mother and sister," Troy snapped with venomous contempt, his eyes darting to the gun still pointing in his and Chad's direction.

In the pit below where water continued to steadily stream inside the cave, he could hear the muffled sounds of terror coming from Gabriella and Lisa who were watching this exchange between he, Chad, and the DeLeons in disbelieving horror.

"Look Angelina...Mr. DeLeon...I know you won't believe this but I truly am sorry for what happened to Marissa and Mrs. DeLeon. The last thing I would have ever wanted or expected was for either one to end up dead, especially over a teenage crush. But they are gone now and nothing is going to bring them back. Certainly not harming the four of us. I may not always be considered the brightest bulb in the box, but this I know to be true. Why don't you just let my mom, Gabriella and Troy go and, if you still feel you need to have your revenge, then let it be against me and me alone."

Although his mother was unable to utter a word with her mouth bandaged over, Chad was almost certain he could hear her from below him attempting to scream at the top of her lungs. Angelina just shook her head with mild disdain, that sinister grin plastered upon her face like a mask.

"Chad. Chad. Chad," she singsonged, the gun in her hand unwavering in its position only inches from his chest. "Cut the bull sweetie. Your martyr act isn't going to fly and it certainly isn't going to save you, Troy, Gabriella or your mother from the destiny we have planned for you all. My father and I will have our revenge tonight on that you can be sure. All debts will be paid in full and my family can at last find some peace for all that we've lost. The only thing I regret is that you two morons thought you were men enough to pull of this lame little rescue on your own without the help of Taylor and the rest of your friends whom I'm well aware are down here in Mexico with you. But...no worries. Once we've had our little party here, I plan on paying a visit to the others and see that they too get what is coming to them as well."

Chad was about to utter another protest, hoping to keep buying the precious time he and Troy needed to figure out how to get the gun away from Angelina and stop she and Leo before they were allowed to carry out their plans, but he was suddenly taken by surprise when the auburn haired beauty took a step closer to Troy, leaned in to kiss his lips which he tried desperately to avoid, and then hit him in the side of the head causing him to slowly slump to the ground unconscious.

"Troy! No!" Chad screamed, as he watched his best friend fall motionless at his feet.

"Are we sure everyone is okay?" Kelsi asked, following behind Ryan, Sharpay, Taylor and Zeke as they managed to get free of the car that was now caught up in a mangle of tree branches.

"Yes Kel. No one seems to be hurt," Taylor replied, although she could feel the start of a lump on her forehead from where it had hit the driver's seat upon impact. "The important thing now is that we get up to that house as quickly as possible to make sure Troy, Chad, Brie and Mrs. Danforth are still alright."

The others agreed with her advice and, after double checking again that no one was seriously hurt, made their way the last hundred yards down the road where they came upon the gates leading into the private hillside community and the empty rental car that their friends had taken.

"How are we suppose to get inside?" Ryan questioned, holding tightly onto Kelsi's hand as his eyes scanned upward at the darkened homes above them. "Are we gonna have to climb over the fence?"

"That's probably what Chad and Troy did since neither one had a key to get them inside," Zeke reasonably concluded.

"But unlike Chad and Troy we do have a key," Sharpay stated, rubbing her left arm, which held a few bloody scratches after climbing out of the car and over broken tree branches.

"We do?" the group asked in surprised.

"Of course we do. Did you not think I would make myself useful when Taylor and I were up here yesterday with Robert?"

"You mean you stole his key to the front gate Shar?" Taylor asked completely impressed. "But how?"

"Never mind how. The point is that we won't have to climb over the gates but rather walk inside like civilized people."

"Babe I could kiss you right about now!" Zeke exclaimed, taking his girlfriend in his arms and giving her a hug.

"Save all that for later," Sharpay stated brushing him off her. "Right now we need to do just like Taylor said and get up to that house and help our friends. I'm really starting to get the feeling that they could be in some serious danger by now."

And without another word, Sharpay unlocked the gate and she and her friends scurried inside.

Ten minutes later and nearly out of breath, they all finally arrived at the DeLeon house frantic to find out what had happened to the people they loved. Their concern that something terrible had happened mounted further, when they found the front door standing wide open with no one in sight. They cautiously went inside and began going from room to room just as Troy and Chad had nearly and hour before. When they realized no one was there pure panic began to set in.

"What could have happened to them? Where could they be?" Taylor demanded, her nerves raw with fear, once they were all standing in the foyer again trying to figure what to do next.

"I just don't get how they could all be gone without a trace," Ryan stated with a sigh. "I mean there are two cars parked right outside which tells us that they didn't drive anywhere, especially since we already saw the car Troy and Chad drove to get here.

"Then that means they still have to be somewhere around here then," Kelsi deduced. "A house full of people don't just vanish into thin air."

"They didn't," Zeke replied from where he stood a few feet away, holding a ragged piece of paper in his hand. "Look what I found over in the corner. It's a note from Angelina. She knew we were coming here tonight and she invited us to meet her at a place beyond that grove of trees over to the side of the house."

"Let me see that," Sharpay commanded, snatching the note from her boyfriend's hand.

"Sounds to me like Angelina and her father set a trap for our boys," Zeke continued, not the least bit put off by his girl's bossy behavior.

"Yes it does," Sharpay agreed, letting the tattered paper slip from her fingers.

"Then what are we standing around here for? We need to move our asses and see what's on the other side of that grove," Taylor shouted, racing for the front door. "Our family needs us!"

The others quickly followed her lead without hesitation and had just stepped back outside under the silvery glow of the moonlit sky, when they suddenly heard voices and the sound of footsteps approaching. Thinking fast on their feet, the group of friends scurried behind a hedge on the side of the house and managed to pull themselves from sight, just as Angelina and Leo emerged from a tiny dirt path leading into a cluster of trees. Everyone held their breath and tried to remain as still as possible, as father and daughter came to a stop in front of one of the cars in clear view of where they were hiding.

"We did it daddy. We finally paid back for what happened to mommy and Marissa," Angelina could be heard gloating with pride. "Now they will both truly be able to rest in peace."

"That's right darling. We can now rest easy knowing that our enemies have paid for their crimes and can't hurt anymore innocent people or tear apart the lives of another family ever again," Leo replied, his voice filled with a calm happiness. "I wasn't sure we could pull this off but we have and now it's time to move on."

From behind the hedge, shivering in terror, Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi could feel the first of anguished tears sliding down their faces. _Did this mean that they were too late? Had the DeLeons actually won? Were Chad, Troy, Gabriella and Mrs. D already lost to them forever?_

"Yes, moving on sounds like a plan daddy dear but we still have some unfinished business to attend to before we are truly done with our mission."

Ten pairs of ears suddenly perked up even more to listen closely to the rest of the DeLeon's evil plans of revenge.

"We still have to deal with the rest of the teeny bopper gang who are no doubt at this very moment, probably sitting in their condo wondering what happened to Troy and Chad and why they got left out of the big plan of rescue," Angelina continued smugly. "Once they've been dealt with then we can leave all of this behind us and start a new life the way mother and Marissa would want us to."

"Then you know where they are exactly?" Leo asked curiously, never ceasing to be amazed at his oldest child's unsurpassed cleverness.

"No...not exactly. But it won't take much to find that out. And while we're finishing up our task of taking out the trash, it will be a wonderful comfort to know at the very same time, Troy, Chad, Lisa and Gabriella will be taking their final breaths of life when that cave finally fills to its full capacity and sends them all to a watery grave."

Taylor clutched Sharpay's arm tightly and looked into her eyes with renewed hope that all was not lost as she mouthed their words..._"They aren't dead yet."_

The conversation between father and daughter continued.

"Then you want to do it now and get it over with?" Leo was asking Angelina, eager for her reply.

"But of course. No time like the present. Besides, if we go over there now and take care of things, we can be back here before dawn to pack up our clothes and get to the airport for an early morning flight out of town."

"Works for me. Want to take my car or yours?"

"Lets take yours," Angelina suggested, reaching for the passenger side door.

Leo nodded in agreement as he went to climb behind the wheel and then stopped in his tracks to look around suspiciously.

"What is it daddy? You look like something is wrong."

Her father continued to look about with an odd expression on his face and, for a moment, his eyes came to rest on the very hedge where Taylor and friends were doing their best to remain as still as possible. In those few fearful seconds that they were on the verge of being discovered, none of them dared to even breathe.

"Daddy? What?" Angelina asked, her voice taking on a tone of annoyance as she threw her hands up in the air.

Her father suddenly snapped out of his temporary fog and smiled.

"Sorry honey. I was just trying to remember where I left my car keys in the house is all. I'll go get them and be right out."

"Well hurry up," Angelina snapped irritably. "I'm so looking forward to another face-to-face meeting with that little Miss Full of Sass Taylor McKessie I can hardly stand it. Taking her down once and for all is going to be almost as much fun as it was tying up her boyfriend, his mother and those other two, Troy and Gabriella."

At the sound of her name, and upon realizing that her beloved Chad wasn't gone for good, Taylor's sadness and fear turned into blinding rage and it was all Zeke and Sharpay could do to keep her pinned behind the hedge to prevent her from rushing out and tackling Angelina to the ground as she beat her face to a pulp.

However, a few seconds later, Leo DeLeon emerged from the house whistling a tune under his breath and jangling a set of car keys in his hand. Closing the front door behind him, he smiled at his daughter and motioned for her to get into the car which she gladly did. Then the two of them drove off in the direction of the main gate to the property below, their undetected visitors finally able to breathe a sigh of relief once again.

Peeking out his head from their hiding space to truly make sure father and daughter were gone, Ryan indicated to the others that the coast was clear. The minute they were out in the open again, the group of friends didn't waste a single moment as they raced toward the grove of trees praying that they weren't to late to stop another tragic event from shattering their lives once more.


	80. Chapter 80

Chapter 79

Chapter 80

Once inside the tunnel, their quest to find their loved ones slowed a bit as none of them had a flashlight and it was all they could do to see two feet in front of their faces. Everyone held on to the person in front of them as Zeke led the way down into the darkness of the long winding hole that gave a whole new meaning to the word claustrophobia.

They too could smell the heavy scent of salt in the air mingled with the damp and hear the sound of rushing water somewhere off in the distance. And while they were afraid of the unknown before them, all pressed on without the slightest hesitation knowing that they were the last hope to save the people they loved.

"I think the tunnel is starting to expand more just up ahead," Zeke announced, tightening his grip on a frightened Sharpay's hand. "I'm starting to be able to make out more of the path from wherever it is that the moonlight is filtering in."

Everyone inwardly sighed at the prospect of finally being able to see clearly again, yet not one of them could contain their anxiousness at still having come across any sign of their missing friends.

And then, after walking another hundred yards or so, they at last saw the cavernous mouth of the cave's opening before them with nothing but ocean pouring inside. They slowly emerged from the confines of the tunnel onto the widening plateau with a sense of relief that they'd made it safely through when all eyes instantly looked down into the watery pit below and came upon a scene too horrifying for them to believe.

"Oh my God!" Taylor screamed, catching sight of Chad, Troy, Lisa and Gabriella seated together bound and gagged, as water lapped up around their shoulders. "We have to do something quick before all of them drown!"

With not a moment to spare or concern for the danger involved, Zeke and Ryan both jumped down into the rising water and wadded as fast as they could toward their friends who were struggling in vain to free themselves. Zeke reached the foursome first and immediately pulled the gags off of Troy and Chad with Ryan right behind him doing the same for Gabriella and Lisa.

"Hurry you guys!" Chad yelled frantically the moment he was able to speak freely again. "We haven't got much time left. The tide is pouring in faster and faster and we'll all be underwater in a matter of minutes if we can't get free of these ropes!"

"Troy! Troy! Are you okay?" Gabriella screamed nearly hysterical, after she'd watched Leo DeLeon tie him up while still unconscious. "Answer me Troy!"

"I'm okay babe!" Troy exclaimed, much to her relief. "Just sit still and let Zeke and Ryan help you and Mrs. D get free okay? Struggling is only going to make it harder for them to get you loose."

"Chad! Baby! Are you alright?" Taylor called out from where she stood on the ledge, looking down at him and the others with terror filled eyes.

"I'm good Tay!" he replied, happy to hear her voice again. "Just stay where you are and get ready to pull my mom and Brie up once the guys get them free."

An enormous wave suddenly came crashing into the mouth of the cave, knocking both Zeke and Ryan over and then under the water.

"Zeke! Ryan!" Sharpay and Kelsi both screamed in unison.

The two young men immediately re-emerged sputtering water out from their lungs and signaled they were okay before going right back to the task of trying to untie the knots that held everyone together. After what seemed like an eternity and with the water now having reached just past everyone's shoulders, Zeke was finally able to get the rope to loosen enough to allow Gabriella and Lisa to slip from it's hold and into the water.

"Come on honey, we need to get you out of here," Lisa stated, seemingly more calm than everyone around her as she took hold of Gabriella's arm and began pulling her toward the ledge where Taylor and the other girls were waiting.

The force of the churning water made their steps seem heavy and leaden, but Lisa pushed onward knowing this for the life and death situation it was, managing to finally get to just below the ledge where hands were reaching down to help pull she and Brie up and out.

As Sharpay and Kelsi lent their assistance to the two wet and shivering women, Taylor had her eyes transfixed on Ryan and Zeke who were still trying to get the last of the ropes from around Troy and Chad.

The sea water was now rushing into the cavern at an even more rapid pace with the heads of all four guys now bobbing just above the surface, precious seconds ticking away before all would become fully submerged.

"Hurry!" Taylor screamed, her fear for their lives stabbing at her heart. "You have to get out of there now before the next wave comes in!"

Suddenly she saw Ryan dive under the water, causing Kelsi to gasp with fright from behind her. Then, a few seconds later, he reappeared this time holding what looked like the last bit of rope that had held Troy and Chad together. The four young men looked at each other with relief and then immediately began swimming toward the ledge where the girls and Lisa awaited.

One by one Zeke, Chad, Troy, and Ryan pulled themselves up with the help of Taylor, Lisa and Sharpay, turning to assist the one right behind them until all were at last standing safely on dry land again just as another huge wave entered the cave.

For a moment they all just stood there in silent shock as they realized just how close to death they'd come, before the spell of their ordeal was broken and Gabriella was throwing herself into Troy's arms with heart wrenching sobs, while Lisa pulled Chad into her embrace and held him so tight he thought he might break.

"Come on!" Chad shouted, reaching for Taylor's hand with an arm still around his mother's waist. "Let's get the hell out of her now!"

Fifteen minutes later, after their long trek back through the tunnel which seemed to go faster than when they'd descended, the emotionally and physically exhausted group re-emerged on the other side sighing with relief when they spied the grove of trees only yards away from the DeLeon's house.

It was then that Taylor could no longer contain herself and reached for Gabriella in a tearful hug of reunion, quickly joined in by Kelsi and Sharpay. The four girlfriends clung to one another with prayers of thanks in their hearts. Unfortunately, the moment of rejoicing wasn't allowed to last very long, as Troy and Chad began instructing them all that they had to leave quickly on the off chance that Angelina and Leo might return.

In full agreement that the sooner they were away from anything having to do with the people who had tired to destroy their lives, the party of nine began to make their way down the hillside toward the main gates below.

Once all were standing on the main road again, Troy went to get the car he and Chad had taken, while Ryan explained about the accident he, Zeke, and the girls had been in that had left their car disabled up the road. It was also at this time that Taylor filled Troy and Chad in on the conversation they'd overheard between Angelina and her father about heading to their resort to finish taking revenge against she and the others.

"So if we can't go back to the condo then where do we go for help?" Lisa asked, still holding on tightly to her son's hand. "Surely those two crazies will be waiting for you all to return once they find you gone."

"We'll just have to take our chances Mrs. D," Troy stated, as he motioned for his friends to start piling into the car. "We can't stay out here in the middle of the road all night. Besides, our money, clothes and IDs are all back at the condo and we'll need those in order to get out of here and back home. The best thing we can do now do is try to get to our chaperones, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony, without being detected by Angelina and her father."

"Chaperones? You mean to tell me all of you are down here under adult supervision?" Lisa asked with an amused smile, as she slid into the front seat alongside a cold and still shivering Gabriella. "Excuse me if I find that hard to believe."

"No Mrs. Danforth it's the truth. They're old friends of the family who've been vacationing down here for years," Sharpay stated, climbing on to Zeke's lap in the back seat next to Chad and Taylor and Kelsi and Ryan. "They think we came to Mexico for spring break but rest assured we can trust them to do whatever they have to to keep us safe from that pair of psychos."

"Lets hope you're right Sharpay," Lisa said with a nervous sigh, as Troy climbed behind the wheel. "Lord only knows what evil they'd do if they found that you all helped us to escape."

Troy turned the engine over and was about to put it into gear, when he stopped and stared at Gabriella for a moment. Although worried at how pale she looked, he was unable to contain the happiness that was soaring in his heart at the sight of her beauty, and couldn't resist reaching out to caress her cheek tenderly.

"Everything's going to be okay now babe. I promise," he whispered in a comforting voice.

"I know. All that matters is that we're all together again," Gabriella softly replied, managing a faint smile to ease some of his concern.

Rejuvenated by her presence at his side, Troy released the break and began to slowly drive off into the night, uncertain of what was to come with the DeLeons somewhere out there still lying in wait.

About 15 minutes later, just as they passed the halfway point back heading back in the direction of their resort, Troy suddenly had to bring the car to a screeching halt as they came upon a chaotic sight of flashing lights and sirens centered around a roadblock set up by the local police.

Pulling over to the side, Troy and the others tried to make out what exactly was going on through a haze of billowing smoke, when they spotted what appeared to be the still burning remains of a fiery crash.

Everyone in the car gasped in horror, as they saw firemen with hoses furiously dosing the smoking hulls of two vehicles, while the police worked to contain a growing crowd of spectators forming at the side of the road. Rolling down the window in back, Chad stuck his head out just in time to see two paramedics moving three bodies away from the scene, quickly placing blankets over the deceased victims.

"What do you think happened?" Ryan asked, craning his neck around the obstructing view of Kelsi's body seated on his lap.

"Looks like two cars collided head-on," Troy replied, as he tried to figure out how in the world they were going to get around the roadblock and on their way again.

"Oh my God!" Sharpay suddenly exclaimed, pointing a finger at the horrific sight before them. "Do you see what I see?"

"What? What?" all the occupants of the car responded in panicked unison.

"That's...that's the DeLeons car isn't it? The one they drove off from the house in?"

Everyone leaned forward to try to get a better visual through the blanket of smoke that surrounded, and when they realized Sharpay was right all they could do was sit back in shock for a moment almost unable to believe that the worst nightmare of their lives may have finally come to an end at long last.

"Then that means that Angelina and her father..." Taylor began to stammer in a whispered tone...

"...Are dead," both Troy and Chad finished for her in sync, with not an ounce remorse in their tone.

"Maybe we should get out and ask the police just to make sure," Lisa suggested, her mind spinning at the thought that the last two members of the family she'd once been as close to as her own might truly be gone.

She moved as if she were about to open the car door and get out to do as she had implied, but was stopped instantly by the firmness of the commanding tone in her son's voice, which proved to her then and there that he was no longer her little boy and would never be again.

"No mom. Don't," Chad stated, reaching over Taylor to grasp Lisa's shoulder in gentle protest. "Leave it alone. There is no doubt that that is the car that Angelina and her father were driving. None at all. Seems God took matters into his own hands after all and saw that the punishment fit the crime. There's nothing left for any of us to do but to drive away and never look back."

"But sweetheart...we have to...we have to..." Lisa stumbled over her words.

"We have to what? Explain to the cops that two of those charred bodies their loading into the ambulance are those of people who tried to kill us all no less than a few hours ago? Why? Who would it serve? Nobody's back home waiting for them to return. But we're a different story. Dad, Corrine, Mrs. Montez, the Boltons, the Evans and McKessie's are waiting for us and have been for a long time. Let the police down here figure out what to do about Angelina and her father. It's time for us to go back to our homes and our lives, the ones they tried to destroy with all their hate and plans for revenge. That's all over now so why not embrace this chance to run from it like crazy?"

Everyone in the car was staring at Chad, taking in his words thoughtfully, knowing deep down that what he was saying was true. There was nothing left to do but turn their backs on the horrors of the last several months and go toward the light of their futures now being offered up once again.

There was an eerie silence which hung over the car for a few seconds, as they contemplated whether or not to do the right thing or the best thing for all concerned.

"You're right baby," Lisa sighed weary with heartache and exhaustion. "All we can do now is go on with our lives and give thanks that we came through this thing alive. If no one else is against it, I say we get out of here as quickly as we can, no looking back."

"Done," Troy stated, checking to make sure that all were in agreement and finding heads nodding their approval as he started up the car again ready to make a break.

He was about to pull off while at the same time looking for an opening to allow them through, when suddenly one of the police officers broke away from his colleagues and began heading in their direction, motioning that they stay where they were. When he reached the car, Troy rolled down the window, unsure of why in an instant he'd become filled with anxiousness since he knew they had done nothing wrong.

"Hello folks," the officer said solemnly, noting how overcrowded their vehicle was. "Sorry for the delay but as you can see we've had a pretty bad accident out here tonight."

"Yes, we can see that," Lisa spoke up, taking charge as the lone parent in the group. "We're hoping that there might still be a way around the commotion as we're anxious to get back to our resort."

"There is a way but it's gonna take just a few more minutes to clear the path so if you can bear with us as we try to remove more of the debris..."

"Of course we can officer. It appears you have quite a tragedy on your hands so a bit of patience on part is not unreasonable to ask."

"Well thank you ma'am. It's always difficult when you have something like this occur, especially when it appears that two of the people involved are tourists."

"That's a shame," Lisa empathized, as Chad and the others in the car watched her performance in silent awe. "This is such a lovely area and to have something like this happen just makes one count their blessings even more."

"Yes it does," the officer conceded. "I take it you all are down here on vacation too?"

"We are. We just finished enjoying a wonderful beach party that ran very late which was thrown by some friends who live a short distance from here. We ran into trouble with our other car which is why you find us now all crammed in here like sardines."

"That's too bad. Is there anything I can do to help with your trouble?"

"Oh no," Lisa replied. "Our friends are going to see to our other vehicle and will get it to us later. Right now all we want to do is get out of your way and back on ours. The sooner we get out of these wet clothes the better chance we'll have of staving off pneumonia."

"Of course," the officer stated with a look of absent-minded understanding, as he turned in the direction of the accident scene again with a sullen expression upon his face. "I think I see a way for you to pull around things and be out of here. Hope seeing all of this hasn't dampened any of your fun?"

"Not in the least. It's just sad that people had to lose their lives tonight in such a horrible fashion. It just makes me grateful to have all my babies here safe and sound."

"Yes ma'am, it surely does," the officer agreed with a nod. "Why don't you go around that barrier over on the far right. You see it? If you maneuver through slowly you'll be on the other side of the roadblock and on your way without need for further pause."

"Thank you so much," Lisa said with the right amount of empathy in her tone, as she nudged Troy to move the car forward while giving a little wave of goodbye.

And then just like that they were on their way, driving slowly past the lights and sirens and bewildered faces of onlookers, through the smell of smoke and residual burning metal, beyond the sheeted bodies of Angelina, her father and the third nameless victim being placed into the back of an ambulance, until they reached the other side of what looked like a war zone with a collective group sigh.

As they inched farther and farther away from their hellish encounter, those in the backseat were about to turn around for one last glance when they were halted by the sound of Lisa's gentle warning.

"Don't look back any of you. Just keep your eyes forward and forget that we were ever here. That's the past and in the past it will stay. Now is only about the future. Okay?"

"Okay mom," Chad conceded, a wave of relief washing over him as it did the rest of his friends at the soothing calm of her voice. "It's all about the future and going home. Nothing else."

"That's right sweetheart. Nothing else," Lisa affirmed, closing her eyes with a semi-contended smile, as Troy eased them all into the light of the soon approaching dawn just over the horizon, and the prayer of her new day was finally answered at last.

_Three Weeks Later..._

It was the morning of their release from the hospital and neither Gabriella or Lisa could contain their excitement.

After returning to the resort on the night of their escape and the death of their captors, family had been called and told of an ordeal almost too unbelievable to comprehend which had caused both Ted Danforth and Carla Montez to faint at the sound of voices they never thought to ever hear again. Then came frantic pleas from the Boltons, McKessies and Evans to come down to Mexico and join them, but were quieted by the promise that all would be on a plane back home later that very day, which was made possible with the assistance of Mr. Evan's private jet being sent without delay the moment they'd hung up.

When they'd arrived at the airport back home around 4:00 p.m. that afternoon, the reunion of families torn apart was a spectacle in and of itself, as everyone collapsed into tears, hugs and prayers of thanks that seemed to go on forever. And, because there was such great concern for the traumatic ordeal that Lisa and Gabriella had been through, a physician was on hand to give an on the spot check up, thereby determining that both needed to be hospitalized immediately for signs of exhaustion, dehydration and anemia. There was also the question of their mental health and any lasting effects the kidnapping may have had, which led to an extended stay at Memorial Hospital much to their dismay.

But now it was the day of their release and a true return to their lives and Lisa and Gabriella couldn't wait to be completely free to step back out into the world they once knew. And of course all of their loved ones were waiting for them with flowers and well wishes, hustling them into cars and back to the Danforth house for a welcome home celebration put together by Taylor, Chad, Troy, Sharpay, Kelsi, Ryan, Zeke. It was one of the happiest days of their lives and one they would never forget.

And after relaying the entire story of what they had gone through which had been put on hold until Lisa and Gabriella were well again, to include the fate that befell the DeLeons in the end, it was vowed to by all never to be spoken of again and it wasn't. The future was all that mattered and living in the moment with hearts full of gratitude for the second chance given.

The following week, Gabriella returned to school to finish out senior year, where she was greeted by many others who celebrated her homecoming with genuine happiness. All of the faculty congratulated her on her acceptance into so many colleges, and though bombarded with questions about what she'd gone through had been like, she merely stated that it was all over now and that her only thoughts were of graduating, spending time with family and friends, and the brightness of the future yet to come.

However, in spite of how wonderful it was to have the life back she adored with Troy and the others, Gabriella couldn't deny that she was a bit saddened and disappointed when she learned that she'd missed out on the Senior Prom which had been held a few days prior to her release from the hospital.

Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi all tried to cheer her up by explaining how they too had missed prom because it would not have been right to go without she and Troy in attendance, but it only made Gabriella's mourning for a rite of passage they'd all earned and were robbed of that much more difficult to swallow. So, in an attempt to brighten her spirits, Troy suggested that they all go out for a fancy dinner that Saturday night to the best restaurant in town as a way to try and preserve some of what they had lost. Of course it wouldn't be quite the same, but he reasoned that at least they would all be together sharing good times once again.

When Saturday night rolled around, Gabriella and the girls were at her house putting the final touches to their hair, clothes and make-up, when a black stretch limo pulled up to the curb and out jumped Troy and the guys all of them dressed in various styles of elegantly tailored tuxedos.

"Oh my. Don't they all just look good enough to eat," Sharpay gushed, admiring the handsome young men with corsages in their hands, standing under Gabriella's bedroom window calling for their dates to hurry up and come down.

"They sure do," Taylor agreed, drinking in the sight of Chad like he was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever laid eyes on.

"Come on ladies, lets not keep our men waiting," Kelsi squealed with delight, as she took Gabriella by the arm and led her downstairs with Sharpay and Taylor in tow.

When the girls stepped outside under the beauty of an orange and gold sun setting sky, they were greeted by long low whistles by each of their dates who openly appreciated the totality of magnificence of what they saw standing before them.

"You ladies look fantastic," Chad stated with appreciation, not trying in the slightest to hide his pleasure at the sight of all of Taylor's luscious curves in a strapless cream colored creation accentuating each and every one of her assets.

"Why thank you baby," Taylor replied with a tantalizing kiss and then smile, as she allowed herself to be handed into the limo by the one who held her heart for all time with the utmost tender loving care.

"Fantastic doesn't even begin to cover how amazingly beautiful you all are tonight," Zeke complimented with equally undisguised adoration, reaching for Sharpay who was hot and smoking in a red sequined mini dress.

"I couldn't agree with you more buddy," Ryan spoke up, kissing Kelsi on the cheek while admiring her loveliness in a floor-length dress the color of a pale pink rose.

Then Troy stepped to Gabriella and took her in his arms, where he held her tight for a moment, before moving back to take in her radiance in a black Valentino stunner that fit her like a glove, a sexy slit up one side.

"You look delicious Brie," he sighed, touching her forehead with his. "Are you ready to have a good time tonight?"

Gabriella nodded with a smile from ear to ear.

"As long as I'm with you how could I have anything but?"

Troy laughed, as he leaned over in a regal bow.

"Well then my lady...your carriage awaits."

Ten minutes later, when the limo should have been pulling up to the front of the restaurant, it was instead coming to a stop just outside the East High gymnasium.

"What in the world are we doing here at school?" Taylor asked, turning to Chad with a look of surprise.

"That's the same question I want to know," Sharpay chimed in, putting her glass of sparkling apple cider down on the sideboard.

"It's no big deal ladies. Zeke, Chad, and I have a year book photo op with the rest of the Wildcats first thing Monday morning and, unfortunately, none of us remembered to bring our uniforms home for washing," Troy explained rather non-chalantly. "We thought we'd stop by the school on our way to the restaurant to pick them up."

"Oh that makes for a thoroughly romantic evening," Sharpay snickered with a roll of her eyes. "Take us to a fancy restaurant but don't forget to bring the dirty laundry along?"

"It will only take a second and it won't delay dinner in the least," Chad stated coming to his best friend's defense, as he opened the back door and climbed out of the limo with Zeke and Troy behind him. "We promise to be back in five minutes."

"Well you better," Gabriella scolded playfully, as she, Taylor and Sharpay again took a moment to appreciate how hot and handsome their dates looked in their tuxedos. "The last thing you need is to have three starving females who haven't eaten all day just so they could enjoy dinner on the town growling out you for keeping them from a plate of food."

Troy laughed. "Like I said babe…it only take a few minutes tops."

"Okay. I have your word," Gabriella chastised with a wink, waving he and the others off, as she closed the door and sat back against the plush leather seat next to Taylor, picking up her own glass of sparkling cider to take another sip.

The four girls and Ryan relaxed and chatted while waiting for the others' return, looking forward to a night on the town, their first since coming back from their ordeal in Mexico. All was fine for a bit, but when Troy, Zeke and Chad still hadn't returned to the limo after 15 minutes or so, their dates began growing restless at the time obviously being wasted over retrieving a matching pair of shorts and a top.

"Okay, this is getting beyond ridiculous. I mean really. How long does it take for three nearly grown men to find two articles of clothing a piece?" Sharpay snapped in frustration, throwing open the limo door and stepping out onto the pavement. "Clearly our boyfriends have no concept of time or we'd be sitting at our table ordering dinner right now instead of being stuck here for no good reason."

"Oh come on Shar. I'm sure they'll be back any minute," Gabriella coaxed, trying to defuse the tantrum she could sense was on its way.

"That minute you are referring to Brie was nearly 20 minutes ago thank you very much. I saw we go inside and pull the out by their lapels or who knows how long we'll be sitting out here twiddling our thumbs."

"Maybe something happened to them? Like say and accident or something?" Taylor suggested, although it didn't sound very convincing even to her own ears.

"An accident?" Sharpay snorted with disdain. "Taylor…just what kind of accident could they have going to and coming back from the locker room? No. I say we go get them before they cause our dinner reservations to be cancelled."

And with that Sharpay began walking off in the direction of the gym with the rest of her friends following close behind, hoping to avoid an angry scene that would jeopardize the good time all were hoping to still have that evening.

Once inside the hallway leading directly to the Boys Locker Room, they immediately began calling out to Chad, Troy, and Zeke to make their presence known. They got no response. However, it took only a few seconds for everyone to realize that someone was in the gym, because all could hear what sounded like music coming from the other side of the huge double doors.

Following the sound of the beat, Taylor and the others headed in that direction and, when they finally threw open the gymnasium doors, each of the girls were stunned not only to find Chad, Troy and Zeke standing their staring back at them with mischievous grins upon their faces, but practically their entire senior class as well all dressed up and ready to party.

"SURPRISE!!" all of their classmates yelled, as Taylor, Sharpay, Gabriella and Kelsi all stood there with their mouths practically dropping to the floor.

Their dates approached the still grinning from ear to ear, loving how what they'd pulled off had left their women utterly speechless.

"Troy…Troy…what is this?" Gabriella was finally able to ask, as she looked out at the sea of smiling faces before them.

"This Brie is the prom that you, Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi missed out on the first time," Chad replied instead. "We figured it was the least we could do to make up for all the hell you've been through."

"Really? You mean you guys actually got the school to allow you to throw a second prom just for us?" Gabriella stated in awe, looking up at Troy with questioning eyes.

"You got it babe. Like Chad said…everyone wanted to do something special for you girls and this was the best they could come up with. Especially you Brie."

"I don't know what to say," Gabriella sighed.

"Don't say anything. Just enjoy," was Zeke's suggestion, as he took Sharpay's hand and pulled her into the crowd to say hi to everyone.

"You really did this all for us?" Taylor exclaimed, her heart bursting with love for her man and friends.

"Of course we did silly. You didn't really believe we'd let you ladies end senior year and not have a prom to reminisce over from now until did you?" Chad informed his fiancée with a laugh.

Taylor threw her arms around him and planted a big juicy kiss on his lips which brought about thunderous applause. She then took Chad's hand and like Zeke with Sharpay was pulled into the crowd.

Kelsi didn't know what to say but she was glad to let Ryan follow the lead of their friends and lead her along so that she too could greet all the smiling faces of those who'd gone to so much trouble to make this special night happen for them.

Troy stood with Gabriella for a moment staring down at her and taking in how touched she was by such an unexpected gesture beyond compare.

"Happy now?" Troy whispered.

All Gabriella could do was nod her head, as tears of joy began to fall from her eyes.

"Good. Then allow me to take you out onto the floor for your first official dance of East High's second prom then Ms. Montez."

Gabriella smiled, took Troy's hand, and let him lead her off into a dream come true from which she hoped she never awoke from.


	81. Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Chapter 81

_Last Days...Best Days..._

In the weeks following the special prom thrown on their behalf and leading up to the final weeks just prior to graduation, the East High Eight spent the last of their "childhood days" studying for exams, hanging out, and enjoying the simple things in life that none of them would take for granted ever again.

Although Gabriella had missed quite a bit of school due to her months of captivity, she and her mother were able to work out a special arrangement that allowed her to catch up on her studies allowing her to graduate on schedule as planned.

Of course there had been an investigation into the disappearance of both she and Lisa Danforth by the local authorities that had left them briefly unsettled for a time.

Since the two of them proclaimed to have never seen their captors or know the reason for having been kidnapped in the first place it was quite difficult for the police to determine what had happened and why. And, after hours of questioning with not one single lead to explain who or what could have possibly benefited from taking them away from their family and friends, the case was chalked up as a mystery unsolved.

Also, as there had never been a ransom note received leaving everyone concerned to believe both were deceased, there was nothing much left to go on as the two victims themselves offered very little information of their own to run with.

So, in the end, all that really mattered was that Gabriella and Lisa were home and safe. The police still worried that whoever had abducted them might try to do so again in time, but neither of the women seemed afraid of such a thing happening and it was for this reason above all others that the matter was allowed to be laid to rest.

Once the last chapter of their nightmare came to a close, it was nothing but happy days and plans for a future that burned bright with possibility for both yet again. Neither they nor the others ever spoke another word of what had happened in Mexico, or of the strange disappearance of Angelina and her father, preferring to let people think what they wanted while they got on with the business of living.

After taking a few days to go over her college acceptance letters and trying to figure out where it was she wanted her fresh start to lead, Gabriella finally decided that she'd like going to college in California and accepted entrance into Stanford along with Taylor.

Although both girls were disappointed that neither Troy nor Chad was able to get into the university as well, they were less upset about going away and leaving them behind when they found out that their guys would be attending school in California too, with one going to UCLA and the other USC. Sadly though, Ryan and Sharpay were going off together to attend the Royal Academy in London on scholarship, while Zeke went to study at a private culinary school in France, and Kelsi planned on going back east to Columbia University to major in music. Jason, whom had been away nearly as long as had Gabriella studying as an exchange student, had opted for early graduation and planned to remain where he was to continue his studies abroad.

So as the last precious days up to graduation slowly began to wind down and the promise of their last summer together loomed just over the horizon, the close-knit group of friends did everything they could to cherish every single moment, savoring all that they'd shared during their memorable years as students at good old East High.

Taylor and Chad were practically inseparable now as they not only planned for their departure to different colleges, but also began to talk seriously about the wedding they wanted to have, deciding that the following summer was the perfect time to take the leap of faith and join as man and wife. Both realized that it wouldn't be easy, but were willing to do what it took to make things work, as long as they believed in their great love for one another with all their hearts.

An even bigger surprise occurred in the 48 hours just before the big day, when during a romantic walk around the lake after having dinner at his parent's house, Troy got down on bended knee and proposed to Gabriella whom accepted in a heartbeat. When they shared the news with family and friends the next morning, most weren't the least bit surprised but all were overjoyed at having one more blessing to celebrate alongside all the others, which seemed too many to count.

_All In This Together...Graduation Time!_

On the morning of the graduation ceremony, both Troy and Chad awoke exceptionally early and met up at the neighborhood park, where they played a game of one-on-one while they talked about the future and the happiness they'd found in being with Gabriella and Taylor.

Around the same time that the guys were working up a sweat, Gabriella and her mother showed up at the McKessie home for a pre-graduation breakfast, where afterwards the girls went upstairs to spend some quality time alone, discussing engagement rings, future weddings, what each planned to wear for the ceremony later that day, and how truly lucky and in love both were with the men of their dreams…Troy and Chad.

Sharpay practically leaped out of bed feeling content at how well her life was going, before turning her attention to all the last minute details that needed to be put in order for the huge graduation party that she and Ryan were hosting at the country club that night.

Zeke threw back his covers with a smile, stretched, kissed the picture of Sharpay that sat on the nightstand by his bed, and then went downstairs to the kitchen where he whipped up a five-star breakfast for his parents who were arguing over which of them would get stuck with picking up the out-of-town relatives coming in to see their son get his high school diploma.

Kelsi had been up for hours seated at the piano in her family room, composing a new song that had popped into her head the night before, as she thought about how much she would miss Ryan after they'd parted ways, but excited that he'd asked her to come visit him during their first school break.

Unlike his sister, Ryan was enjoying a morning of quiet solitude, as he thought about his friends and how excited he was for the new and exciting challenges that life had in store for them after today, appreciating just how far everyone had come since senior year had begun.

It was 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, when the parents of the East High seniors began dropping off their sons and daughters, adorned in red caps and gowns for the boys and white caps and gowns for the girls, outside the school's main entrance.

Gabriella, Kelsi, Sharpay, and Taylor were all standing together off in a corner of the auditorium's hallway making final wardrobe adjustments as Gabriella, who was Valedictorian and Taylor, the class Salutatorian, went over their respective speeches one last time, when Troy, Chad, Zeke and Ryan spotted them from across the crowded room and rushed over to their sides.

"Hi baby," Taylor said with a smile, as Chad walked up, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

"Hey yourself. All ready to wow the judges with your awesome speech?" He joked, his arm now placed securely around her waist.

"Yeah. But I have to say I'm a little bit nervous. I know I like to talk an all but this…well this is pretty intimidating."

"No worries okay," Chad chastised, playfully tweaking her nose. "You and Brie both are going to be fantastic. And if you get even the slightest bit nervous, just look for me in the audience to connect with."

"He's right Tay," Gabriella agreed, standing hand-in-hand with Troy her face aglow with happiness. "You and I are an unbeatable combination. Everyone who hears us today is going to be blown away."

"Not too far I hope," Taylor joked, some of her nervousness starting to fade. "We need folks to still be around for all the parties later on."

"Now that's what I'm talking about. Partying until the sun comes up. Forget graduation. That's where the real action is," Troy laughed, throwing out reciprocated hi-fives to Zeke, Chad, and then Ryan.

"Well if party supreme is what you're after Bolton, then look no further than the no holds barred bash I'm throwing at the country club tonight in honor of the graduating class of 2008," Sharpay reminded, proud that in spite of all the recent set-backs she still had been able to pull together her best and final party of the year.

"You mean our bash don't you sis?" Ryan teased, his arm draped across Kelsi's shoulders, who chuckled at his always being able to put Sharpay on the spot.

Then all the laughter and chatter was being quieted down by the teachers assigned to keeping the senior class on time and on track, signaling that it was getting close to the ceremony and how they all needed to begin lining up in their proper places. This brought about another round of hugs and kisses exchanged between friends and couples, before each scurried off to stand in alphabetical order according to last name. The only two who ended up side-by-side were Ryan and Sharpay.

Suddenly the familiar sound of Pop and Circumstance began to play from behind the closed auditorium doors, as the seniors looked around giddy with nervousness as they realized this was it…the biggest moment of their lives so far. There was no turning back now…adulthood was staring them in the face and a whole new world was waiting to be conquered.

Later that evening, as the Evans Graduation Party was in full swing with a roomful of happy seniors enjoying their last hurrah….Chad, Taylor, Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and Kelsi slipped away unnoticed out to a private part of the golf course to steal a quiet moment together with no one else around.

The moonlit sky was vibrant and alive under a cloak of a million stars, as the group of friends stood staring at one another with loving smiles on each of their faces, remembering all they'd been through that had brought them to this particular moment in time when that which seemed to be coming to an end was, in fact, only just beginning.

"It's been quite the year hasn't it?" Taylor spoke first, her voice soft and thoughtful in tone. "Who knew that when we started our first day back in September we'd have gone through the kind of journey we've taken and somehow miraculously survived?"

"Tell me about it," Gabriella sighed in a fusion of sadness and joy at how profoundly life had changed for her, especially in the last few months. "All we were looking for was good times, making memories and getting into college in the beginning. Now…"

"…We're just trying to take things one day at a time and be grateful for every moment we have together," Troy finished, squeezing her hand tightly in his own.

"Exactly," Sharpay chimed in, giving Zeke a warm smile which he returned in kind. "I don't think any of us will ever again take any of life's blessings for granted. And yes, that includes even me."

A laugh rippled through the group as they acknowledged what a feat it was to have the original "it's all about me" girl make such an unexpected confession.

"Yes. And in spite of all the ordeals we faced this year, we did still manage to have some amazing times too," Kelsi pointed out. "I mean…who could forget…in between the times when things went nuts…how great senior weekend was or the amazing masquerade ball?"

"Indeed," Ryan nodded in agreement. "Not to mention our trip to Lake Tahoe over Christmas and New Years?"

"Or all of us just hanging out and having a good time," Chad stated. "Celebrating victory as we brought home another basketball championship thanks to Coach Bolton's credit."

"All and all…through good times and bad…seems we Wildcats are pretty tough when it counts," Taylor praised. "I don't know what I' going to do without most of you come the fall when Brie and I go away to school like the rest of you."

"Don't worry Tay. Like the song says…ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough to keep us from getting to each other if need be," Kelsi stated with reassurance. "Heck, by the time we get computers, phones, and emails going it will probably seem like we never left each other to begin with."

"Well all I know is that I couldn't have gotten through senior year without all of you," Troy offered up in salute. "No matter where we go from here it will always be us against the world. So lets say goodbye to senior year and hello to the future right."

Then Troy stuck his hand out into the middle of the circle they'd formed and everyone followed behind his lead by stacking one palm on top of the next until all were joined as one.

"Okay…on the count of three…1…2…3…who are we?!" Troy shouted at the top of his lungs like a drill seargent.

"Wildcats!!" his friends yelled back in unison.

"What are we!?"

"All in this together!!"

And with that, full of laughter, hugs and even a few tears, the East High Eight turned back in the direction of the country club's ballroom, running off across the grass toward the sights and sounds of a future calling to them by name, one that they were finally mature enough and ready enough to answer.

**THE END**

_(Note to readers: Thank you to everyone who stuck with the story and supported me through this entire process no matter what... Your love and encouragement got me through big time. Until we meet up again…God Bless)_


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